WHALE  HUNTING 
WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 


'WHALE  HUNTING 
with  GUN  and  CAMERA 


A  NATURALIST'S  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  MODERN 
SHORE-WHALING  INDUSTRY,  OF  WHALES  AND 
THEIR  HABITS,  AND  OF  HUNTING  EXPERI- 
ENCES IN  VARIOUS  PARTS  OF  THE  WORLD 


BY 
ROY  CHAPMAN  ANDREWS 

ASSISTANT  CURATOR  OF  MAMMALS,  AMERICAN  MUSEUM  OF  NATURAL 
HISTORY,  NEW  YORK  ;  FELLOW  OF  THE  NEW  YORK  ACADEMY  OF  SCIENCES  J 
MEMBER  OF  THE  BIOLOGICAL  SOCIETY  OF  WASHINGTON,  ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED 


D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY 

NEW  YORK  LONDON 

1916 


COPYRIGHT,  igi6,  BY 
D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY 


Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America 


THIS   BOOK   IS   AFFECTIONATELY  INSCRIBED   TO 

MY    WIFE 

WITHOUT  WHOSE    ENCOURAGEMENT  IT 
WOULD    NEVER    HAVE    BEEN    WRITTEN 

AND  TO 

MY    MOTHER 

WHO    HAS    BORNE    THE    ANXIETIES 
OF  HER  SON'S   LONG  WANDERINGS 


355260 


PREFACE 

In  this  book  I  have  endeavored  to  tell  of  modern 
shore  whaling  as  I  have  seen  it  during  the  past  eight 
years  while  collecting  and  studying  cetaceans  for  the 
American  Museum  of  Natural  History.  This  work 
carried  me  twice  around  the  world,  as  well  as  north- 
ward on  two  expeditions  to  Alaska,  and  southward  to 
the  tropic  waters  of  Borneo  and  the  Dutch  East  Indies. 

I  have  also  tried  to  give,  in  a  readable  way,  some 
of  the  most  interesting  facts  about  whales  and  their 
habits,  confining  myself,  however,  to  those  species 
which  form  the  basis  of  the  shore  whaling  industry, 
or  are  commercially  important,  and  which  have  come 
under  my  personal  observation. 

In  all  of  this  work  the  camera  has  necessarily  played 
a  large  part,  for  it  is  only  by  means  of  photographs 
that  whales  can  be  seen  in  future  study  as  they  appear 
alive  or  when  freshly  killed.  It  is  hardly  necessary 
to  say  that  the  photographing  has  been  intensely  in- 
teresting, and  to  any  one  who  is  in  search  of  real  ex- 
citement I  can  heartily  recommend  camera  hunting 
for  whales. 

It  should  be  understood  that  this  book  is  in  no  sense 
a  manual  of  the  large  Cetacea.  I  hope,  however,  at 
some  future  time  to  write  a  volume  which  will  treat 
of  this  wonderful  mammalian  order  in  a  less  casual 

vii 


PREFACE 

way,  and  thus  satisfy  a  desire  which  has  been  ever 
present  in  my  mind  since  I  began  the  study  'of  whales. 

Some  portions  of  this  book  have  been  published 
as  separate  articles  in  the  American  Museum  Jour- 
nal, World's  Work,  Metropolitan,  Outing,  National 
Geographic,  and  other  magazines,  but  by  far  the 
greater  part  of  it  is  new. 

There  have  been  many  pleasurable  sides  to  the  work, 
but  one  of  the  most  delightful  has  been  the  friends 
that  I  have  made,  and  my  cordial  reception  by  the  offi- 
cials of  the  whaling  companies  in  whatever  corner  of 
the  world  I  have  chanced  to  be. 

Space  will  not  permit  me  to  mention  all  those  to 
whom  I  am  indebted  and  who  have  contributed  to  the 
success  of  the  various  expeditions,  but  I  wish  first  to 
express  my  gratitude  to  the  Trustees  of  the  American 
Museum  of  Natural  History,  under  whose  auspices  all 
my  work  upon  cetaceans  has  been  conducted,  and 
especially  to  President  Henry  Fairfield  Osborn  for  his 
encouragement  and  wise  counsel. 

Captains  I.  N.  Hibberd  and  John  Barneson  have 
never  failed  in  kindness  and  the  President  and  Di- 
rectors of  the  Toyo  Hogei  Kabushiki  Kaisha  of  Osaka, 
and  Mr.  D.  Ogiwara  of  Shimonoseki,  Japan,  are  in 
a  large  measure  responsible  for  the  success  of  the  work 
conducted  in  the  Orient.  Not  only  did  these  gentlemen 
freely  extend  the  courtesies  of  their  ships  and  stations, 
but  also  presented  to  the  American  Museum  of  Natural 
History  skeletons  of  all  the  large  Japanese  cetaceans, 
which  are  the  only  specimens  of  Asiatic  whales  in 
America. 

viii 


PREFACE 

Thanks  are  due  to  the  Directors  of  the  (former) 
Pacific  Whaling  Company  of  Victoria,  B.  C,  and  to 
the  (former)  managers  of  the  stations,  Air.  Sidney  C. 
Ruck,  V.  H.  Street  and  J.  H.  Quinton.  Air.  Ruck  also 
furnished  me  with  valuable  data  as  to  the  progress  of 
the  American  \Yest  Coast  whaling  industry  and  as- 
sisted in  other  ways. 

I  cannot  mention,  individually,  all  the  gunners  who 
have  entertained  me  ashore  and  afloat,  but  the  kind- 
ness of  Captains  H.  G.  Alelsom,  Fred  Olsen  and  Y.  E. 
Andersen  I  shall  never  forget.  Captain  Alelsom  has 
also  read  portions  of  the  manuscript  of  this  book  and 
in  criticism  has  afforded  me  the  benefit  of  his  long 
experience  and  keen  observation. 

Aly  wife,  Yvette  Borup  Andrews,  has  transcribed 
practically  all  of  this  book  from  my  dictation  and  has 
assisted  in  numberless  other  ways  throughout  its  prep- 
aration, and  to  her  my  thanks  are  due. 

Lastly,  I  wish  to  express  my  gratitude  for  material 
assistance  throughout  the  work  upon  cetaceans  to  Dr. 
Frederic  A.  Lucas,  Director  of  the  Aluseum;  Dr.  J. 
A.  Allen,  Dr.  Herman  C.  Bumpus,  Alessrs.  George  H. 
Sherwood,  (late)  George  S.  Bowdoin  and  Air.  and 
Airs.  Charles  L.  Bernheimer. 

ROY  CHAPMAN  ANDREWS, 
American  Aluseum  of  Natural  History, 

New  York  City. 
February  8,  1916. 


CONTENTS 


INTRODUCTION 

PAGE 

The  development  of  shore  whaling  and  its  progress 
throughout  the  world — The  floating  factory — A 
modern  shore  station — The  ship,  harpoon-gun  and 
apparatus — What  shore  whaling  is  doing  for  science  i- 

CHAPTER  I 

MY  FIRST  WHALE  HUNT 

Making  ready  for  the  hunt — Three  humpbacks  sighted — 
The  first  kill — Inflating  the  whale — Cutting  in  a 
whale  by  machinery — Disposition  of  the  parts  .  .  22 

CHAPTER  II 
HOW  A  HUMPBACK  DIVES  AND  SPOUTS 

Diving — How    far    down    whales    can    go — Spouting — 

Construction  of  the  blowholes 38 

CHAPTER  III 
AN  EXCITING  EXPERIENCE  IN  ALASKA 

A  fruitless  chase  «f  two  humpbacks — Another  hump- 
back sighted — It  bursts  from  the  water  half  under 

the  vessel's  side 46 

xi 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  IV 

THE  "VOICE"  OF   WHALES   AND   SOME   INTERESTING 
HABITS 

PAGE 

The  voice — How  long  whales  can  remain  under  water- 
Where  whales  sleep — The  ''double-finned"  whale  .  54 

CHAPTER  V 

THE  PLAYFUL  HUMPBACK 

The  whalebone,  or  baleen — What  whales  eat  and  how — 
Affection  for  young — The  fighting  qualities  of 
humpbacks — Breeding  habits — Nursing  the  baby 
whale  with  milk — A  story  of  whale  milking  ...  63 

CHAPTER  VI 

JAPANESE  SHORE  STATIONS 

Studying  whales  in  Japan — Japanese  shore  stations  and 
their  method  of  cutting  in — Cutting  in  at  night — 
Whale  meat  as  a  food 77 

CHAPTER  VII 

A  JAPANESE  WHALE  HUNT 

Hunting  sei  whales  off  the  coast  of  North  Japan — The 

whale  runs — Moving  pictures — The  second  whale     .     91 

CHAPTER  VIII 
CHARGED  BY  A  WILD  SEI  WHALE 

The  first  sight — The  shot — The  charge — The  death  flurry 

— Sharks 107 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  IX 
HABITS  OF  THE  SEI  WHALE 

PAGE 

A  distinct  species — Wandering  disposition — Migration — 

Distinguishing    characteristics — Food — Speed     .      .    122 

CHAPTER  X 

A  LONG  BLUE  WHALE  CHASE 

The  whale  runs — The  ship  dragged  through  the  water — 

A  broken  harpoon  line — Caught  after  a  day's  chase  129 

CHAPTER  XI 
THE  LARGEST  ANIMAL  THAT  EVER  LIVED 

Weight  and  size  of  a  blue  whale — Why  whales  grow  so 
large — A  new-born  baby  25  feet  long — The  wonder- 
ful strength  of  a  blue  whale — A  remarkable  hunt 
described  by  J.  G.  Millais 140 

CHAPTER  XII 

WHAT  HAS  BECOME  OF  THE  WHALE'S  LEGS 

Watching  a  whale  swim — The  flippers  and  hind  limbs — 
Ventral  folds — Blubber — A  blue  whale  which  fol- 
lowed a  ship  24  days 148 

CHAPTER  XIII 

THE  GREYHOUND  OF  THE  SEA 

A  finback  hunt  in  Alaska — A  finback  struck  by  two  har- 
poons— Finished  with  the  lance — A  humpback — A 
finback  mother  and  calf 158 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XIV 
SHIPS  ATTACKED  BY  WHALES 

PAGE 

Sinking  the  Sorenson — Whales  attacking  ships — Habits 
of  blue  and  finback  whales — Killing  a  finback  off  the 
Shetland  coast — Wanderings  of  whales  .  .  .  .175 

CHAPTER  XV 
REDISCOVERING  A   SUPPOSEDLY  EXTINCT  WHALE 

Whales  on  the  Pacific  Coast — The  devilfish  of  Korea — 
Living  in  Korea — Theft  of  bones — My  first  gray 
whale 186 

CHAPTER  XVI 
HOW   KILLERS  TEAR   OUT  A   GRAY  WHALE'S  TONGUE 

Stampeding  a  herd  of  gray  whales — Cleverness  in  avoid- 
ing capture — Migrations 197 

CHAPTER  XVII 
SOME   HABITS   OF   THE    GRAY   WHALE 

What  gray  whales  eat — Affection — Diseases — Parasites 

— Hair 207 

CHAPTER  XVIII 
THE  WOLF  OF  THE  SEA 

Captain   Scott's  experience  with  killers — Killers  in  the 

Antarctic — The  swordfish  and  thresher     ....   215 
xiv 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XIX 
A  STRANGE  GIANT  OF  THE  OCEAN 

PAGE 

The  giant  sperm  whale — Spermaceti — Ambergris — Teeth 
— Scrimshawing — Food — Size — Blowing  and  Diving 
— Sperms  off  the  Japan  coast — Ferocity — Length  of 
life  in  whales 224 

CHAPTER  XX 
A  DEEP-SEA  SPERM  WHALE  HUNT 

Old-time  whaling — Killing  with   a  hand  lance — "Diary 

of  a  Whaling  Cruise,''  by  Mr.  Slocum     ....   238 

CHAPTER  XXI 
THE  RIGHT  WHALE  AND  BOWHEAD 

The  beginning  of  whaling — The  right  whale  and  bow- 
head — Valuable  whalebone — Right  whales  killed  with 
the  harpoon-gun — How  bowheads  are  hunted — The 
Eskimo  whalers — A  right  whale-  captured  at  Ama- 
gansett,  Long  Island 245 

CHAPTER  XXII 
» 

THE  BOTTLENOSE  WHALE  AND  HOW  IT  IS  HUNTED 

Hunting  the  bottlenose  whale — Habits  of  the  bottlenose 
— Peculiarities  of  the  ziphioid  whales — Teeth  of 
Layard's  and  Gray's  whales — Skulls — Existing  ziph- 
ioid whales  the  last  survivors  of  an  ancient  race  .  258 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XXIII 

HUNTING  WHITE  WHALES  IN  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE 
RIVER 

PAGE 

Porpoises  and  dolphins — Hunting  white  whales  in   the 

St.  Lawrence  River 267 

CHAPTER  XXIV 
THE  BOTTLENOSE  PORPOISE  IN  CAPTIVITY 

A  bottlenose  porpoise   fishery  at  Cape  Hatteras — "The 

Porpoise  in  Captivity,"  by  Dr.  Charles  H.  Townsend  278 

CHAPTER  XXV 

THE  BLACKFISH 

An  exciting  blackfish  hunt  in  the  Faroe  Islands — Habits  291 

CHAPTER  XXVI 
THE  PASSING  OF  THE  WHALE 

The  commercial  extermination  of  the  right  whale — Cap- 
ture of  the  bowhead — "Whaling  in  Newfoundland," 
by  Dr.  F.  A.  Lucas — The  American  Pacific  coast — 
Sub-Antarctic  whaling — Japan — Needed  legislation  296 

APPENDIX 

Classification  of  the  Cetacea — Diagnoses  of  the  whales 
described  in  this  book — The  skeleton  of  the  Cetacea 
— Adaptation  as  shown  by  the  Cetacea  ....  307 

INDEX 323 

xvi 


LIST  OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

A  modern  shore  whaling  station  at   Kyuquot,   Vancouver  Island, 

B.  C 9 

The  Orion  with  three  humpback  whales  at  Sechart,  Vancouver 

Island     .          ..........        10 

The  harpoon  gun  on  the  Rex  Mam       .          .          .          .          .          -13 

The  harpoon  is  tipped  with  a  hollow  point  called  the  "bomb," 

which  is  filled  with  powder  and  ignited  by  a  time  fuse          .        15 
The  harpoon  after  it  has  been  fired  into  the  body  of  a  whale       .        15 
A  trial  shot  with  the  harpoon-gun  .         .          .         .         .         .          .16 

A  near  view  as  the  gun  is  fired  at  a  target  .         .         .         .         .18 

Captain   Balcom  at  the  gun  on  the  Orion     .         .          .          .          .       23 

Loading  the   harpoon-gun        ........       26 

Model  of  a  humpback  whale  in  the  Ameiican  Museum  of  Natural 

History .28 

"The  man  in  the  barrel  called  down,  'Whales  on  the  port  bow'!"  29 
"Two  men  with  long-handled  knives  began  to  cut  off  the  lobes 

of   the   tail"  ..........       32 

"A  hollow,  spear-pointed  tube  of  steel  .  .  .  was  jabbed  well  down 

into  the  whale's  abdomen,  the  engines  started,  and  the  animal 

slowly    filled    with    air"          .......       34 

Flensing  a  whale  at  one  of  the  Vancouver  Island  stations  .  .  36 
A  humpback  whale  "sounding"  .......  39 

A  humpback  whale  with  a  very  white  breast 40 

"The  tail  of  the  humpback  as  the  animal  'sounds'  looks  like  a 

great  butterfly  which  has  alighted  upon  the  water"  ...  -43 
"The  flukes  of  a  big  humpback  just  disappearing  below  the  surface 

on    the    starboard    side"          .......       47 

"The  captain  swung  the  vessel's  nose  into  just  the  right  position 

and  they  appeared  close  beside  the  starboard  bow"  .  .  49 
"Scrambling  up,  I  ...  snapped  the  camera  at  the  huge  body  partly 

hidden    by    the    boat"     .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .51 

Bringing  in  a  humpback  at  the  end  of  the  day's  hunt  ...  53 
"Suddenly,  not  more  than  two  hundred  fathoms  in  front  of  the 

ship,  four  humpbacks  spouted  and  began  to  feed"    ...       58 
Two  humpback  whales  swimming  close  together  at  the  surface     .       61 
A  humpback   whale   "lobtailing"    .......       65 

The  tongue  ot  a  humpback  whale,  which  has  been  forced  out  of 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

the  animal's  mouth  by  air  pumped  into  the  body  to  keep  it 

afloat 68 

Pulling  the  barnacles  off  a  humpback  whale         .          .         .          .71 

A  humpback  partly  in  the  water  at  the  station  in  North  Japan     .       73 
The  result  of  a  single  day's  hunt  .          .         .          .         .          .          .76 

"In  some  instances  the  whales  are  drawn  out  upon  the  slip  in  the 

Norwegian   way"    .........       78 

"She  was  listing  far  to  starboard  and  we  could  see  the  huge  flukes 

of  a  blue  whale  .  .  .  waving  at  her  bow"     ....       80 

"A  steel  wire  cable  was  looped  about  the  tail  just  in  front  of  the 
flukes,  and  the  huge  carcass  drawn  slowly  upward  over  the 
end  of  the  wharf"         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .81 

"Section  by  section  the  carcass  was  cut  apart  and  drawn  upward 
to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  men  on  the  wharf  and  be  sliced 
into  great  blocks   two  or  three   feet   square"  .          .        83 

"Transverse  incisions  were  made  in  the  portion  of  the  body  re- 
maining in  the  water,  a  hook  was  fastened  to  a  blanket  piece 
and   as  the   blubber  was   torn   off   by  the  winch   the   carcass 
rolled  over  and  over"    ........       85 

The  inner  side  of  a  strip  of  blubber  as  it  is  being  torn  from  a 

whale 87 

"What  .  .  .  remains    is    first   tried    out   to    extract    the    oil,    then 
chipped  by  means  of  hand  knives,  and  dried  in  the  sun  for 

fertilizer 88 

Whale  meat  on  the  washing  platforms  ready  to  be  sent  to  market       89 
The  whaling  station  at  Aikawa,  North  Japan         .         .         .         .92 

A  sei  whale  on  the  slip  at  Aikawa       ......       93 

The  spout  of  a  sei  whale     ........       94 

"He  .  .  .  would  sometimes  swim  just  under  the  surface  with  only 

the  tip  of  the  dorsal  fin  exposed" 95 

"I  pressed  the  button  of  the  camera  as  the  broad  back  came  into 

view"      ...........       97 

The  sei  whale 98 

"The  winch  was  then  started  and  the  whale  drawn  slowly  toward 

the    ship"        ..........       99 

A   sei  whale  at  Aikawa,  Japan 101 

" 'There's  a  whale  dead  ahead.    He  spouted  six  times' "         .         .102 
"The  click  of  the  camera  and  the  crash  of  the  gun  sounding  at 

almost  the   same   instant"       .          .          .          .          .          .          .103 

"We  were  just  off  Kinka-san  at  half-past  six,  and  by  seven  were 

blowing  the  whistle  at  the  entrance  to  the  bay"     .          .          .105 
"We  hunted  them   for  two  hours,  trying  first  one  and  then  the 
other — they  had  separated — without  once  getting  near  enough 
even   for  pictures"         .         .         .         •         •         •         •         .107 

xviii 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

"He  was  running  fast  but  seldom  stayed  down  long,  his  high  sickle- 
shaped  dorsal  fin  cutting  the  surface  first  in  one  direction, 
then  in  another" 108 

"Always  the  center  of  a  screaming  flock  of  birds  which  sometimes 
swept  downward  in  a  cloud,  dipping  into  the  waves  and 
rising  again,  the  water  flashing  in  myriads  of  crystal  drops 
from  their  brown  wings"  .  .  .  .  .  .  .109 

A  sei  whale  showing  a  portion  of  the  soft  fatty  tongue  .         .         .no 

"In  the  mirror  of  my  camera  I  could  see  the  enormous  gray  head 
burst  from  the  water,  the  blowholes  open  and  send  forth  a 
cloud  of  vapor,  and  the  slim  back  draw  itself  upward,  the 
water  streaming  from  the  high  fin  as  it  cut  the  surface"  .  112 

"Then  turning  about  with  his  entire  head  projecting  from  the 
water  like  the  bow  of  a  submarine,  he  swam  parallel  with 
the  ship"  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .nS 

"I  was  .  .  .  gazing  down  into  the  blue  water  and  waiting  to  catch 
a  glimpse  of  the  body  as  it  rose,  when  suddenly  a  dark  shape 
glided  swiftly  under  the  ship's  bow"  .  .  .  .  .116 

"Two  boat  hooks  were  jabbed  into  the  shark's  gills  and  it  was 

hauled  along  the  ship's  side  until  it  could  be  pulled  on  deck"     118 

Making  the  sei  whale  fast  to  the  bow  of  the  ship         .         .         .119 

A  sei  whale  swimming  directly  away  from  the  ship     .          .         .120 

"For  many  years  the  sei  whale  was  supposed  to  be  the  young  of 
either  the  blue  or  the  finback  whale,  and  it  was  not  until  1828 
that  it  was  recognized  by  science  as  being  a  distinct  species"  122 

A  sei  whale  fast  to  the  ship         .         .         .         .         .         .         .123 

A  blue  whale,  eighty-five  feet  long,  at  Kyuquot,  Vancouver  Island     125 

"In  the  water  the  sei  whale  may  be  easily  recognized  at  a  con- 
siderable distance  by  the  form  of  the  spout  and  the  high 
dorsal  fin  which  is  prominently  displayed  as  the  animal  swims 
at  the  surface" 126 

"The  sei  whale  has  a  roving  disposition  and  wanders  restlessly 
from  one  coast  to  another,  sometimes  .  .  .  suddenly  appearing 
in  waters  where  it  has  never  before  been  known"  .  .  .127 

"Suddenly  a  cloud  of  white  vapor  shot  into  our  very  faces  and 

a  great  dripping  body  rounded  out  under  the  ship's  bow"      .     129 

"For  ten  minutes  the  silence  continued,  then  the  Captain  said  in 

a  quiet  voice:    There  he  is,  far  away  on  the  beam!'"     .         .     131 

"I  ran  on  deck  just  as  the  great  brute  rounded  up  right  beside 

the  bow  and  the  gun  flashed  out  in  the  darkness"         .         .     134 

"The  rope  attached  to  the  first  harpoon  floated  backward  in  dan- 
gerous proximity  to  the  propeller  and  it  required  some  care- 
ful work  to  get  the  animal  fast  to  the  bow  and  the  line  safely 

out  of  the  way" 137 

xix 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Bringing  the   blue  whale  to  the  station          .          .          .          .         .138 

A  blue  whale  at  Aikawa,  Japan    .         .         .         .         .  .141 

An  eighty-two  foot  blue  whale  at  Vancouver  Island     .          .          .142 
The  open  mouth  of  a  blue  whale    .         .         .         .         .         .         .144 

The   upper   jaw   of   a   blue   whale,    showing   the   mat   of   hairlike 

bristles  on  the  inner  edges  of  the  baleen  plates     .          .          .145 
Posterior  view  of  a  blue  whale  on  the  slip  at  Aikawa,  Japan          .      149 
The  flipper  of  a  humpback  whale          .          .          .          .          .          .150 

After  the  humpback's  flipper  has  been  stripped  of  blubber    .          .151 
The  folds  on  the  throat  of  a  finback  whale          .          .          .          .152 

A  cross  section  of  the  folds  on  the  breast  of  a  humpback  whale     .     154 
The  eye  and  ear  of  a  blue  whale         .         .         .         .         .  155 

The  skull  of  an  eighty-foot  blue  whale,  the  skeleton  of  which  was 

sent  to  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History  from  Japan      157 
"The  finback  whale  is  the  greyhound  of  the  sea  .  .  .  for  its  beauti- 
ful slender  body  is  built  like  a  racing  yacht  and  the  animal  can 
surpass  the   speed  of   the   fastest  ocean   steamship"         .         .159 
"I  was  standing  on  the  bridge  with  the  camera  focused  and  pressed 

the  button  as  they  rose  to  the   surface"          .          .          .          .160 

"An   instant   later  came   the   crash  of   the  harpoon   gun   and   the 
nearest  whale,  throwing  its  flukes  and  half  its  body  out  of 
the  water,  turned  head  down  in  a  long  dive"          .          .          .162 
The  finback  whale  reaches  a  length  of  about  seventy-five  feet         .     163 
"I  had  climbed  to  the  barrel  at  the  masthead  .  .  .  and  was  watch- 
ing the  little  pram  as  it  neared  the  dying  finback"          .          .165 
Marked  with  a  flag  and  left  to  float  until  the  end  of  the  day's  hunt     166 
The  whale   is  made   fast  to  the  bow   by   a  heavy   chain   and  the 

ship  starts  on  the  long  tow  to  the  station     .          .          .          .167 

"Sorenson  hesitated,  swung  the  gun  a  little  to  one  side  and  fired"     170 
Bringing  in  a  finback     .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .171 

A  finback  lying  in  the  water  at  Aikawa  just  before  it  is  "cut  in"     172 
Drawing  up  a  finback  at  Aikawa,  Japan          .          .          .          .          .173 

The  long  slender  body  of  a  finback  lying  on  its  side;  the   outer 

edges  of  the  whalebone  plates  in  the  mouth  are  well  shown     175 
The  spout  of  a  finback  whale  .         .         .          .         .          .         .          .     177 

A  finback  whale  "sounding"   or  taking  the   "big  dive"          .          .179 
When  sounding  the  finback  sinks  lower  and  lower  until  the  dor- 
sal fin  disappears;  this  is  the  last  part  of  the  body  to  leave 
the  surface         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .     .     180 

A  finback  taking  an  "intermediate"  or  "surface"  dive     .          .          .182 
The  upper  jaw  of  a  finback  whale,  showing  the  bristles  on  the  in- 
ner edges  of  the  baleen  plates          .          .          .          .          .          .184 

The  side  view  of  a  model  of  a  gray  whale  in  the  American  Mu- 
seum of  Natural  History  prepared  under  the  direction  of  the 
xx 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

author  from  studies  made  in  Korea         .          .          .          .          .188 

A  ventral  view  of  the  gray  whale  model     .          .          .          .          .189 

The  whaling  station  at  Ulsan,  Korea     .         .          .          .          .          .190 

"At  the  port  bow  hung  the  dark  flukes  of  a  whale,  the  sight  of 

which  made  me  breathe  hard  with  excitement"       .         .         .191 
Cutting  in  a  gray  whale        .          .          .          .          .          .         .  193 

"When  the  winch  began  slowly  to  lift  the  huge  black  body  out 

of  the  water,  a  very  short  examination  told  me  that  the  kaku 

kujira  really  was  the  long-lost  gray  whale"     .         .         .         .194 

Cutting  through  the  body  of  a  gray  whale     .          .          .          .          .198 

The  posterior  part  of  a  gray  whale     ......     200 

The  flukes  of  a  gray  whale  ........     203 

A  strip  of  blubber  from  the  back  of  a  gray  whale  with  the  short 

flipper  at  the  end  of  it  .......     205 

Captain  Melsom  about  to  lance  a  gray  whale  from  the  pram  .  .  209 

After  the  death  stroke 211 

"The  killer  is  the  wolf  of  the  sea  and  like  the  land  wolves  hunts 

in  packs  of  twenty  or  more  individuals  which  will  attack  and 

devour  almost  anything  that  swims"        .         .         .         .         .216 

A  posterior  view  of  a  killer  showing  the  high  dorsal  fin          .          .217 
An  anterior  view  of  a  killer         .......     222 

A  sperm  whale  lying  on  the  slip  at  Kyuquot,  Vancouver  Island  .  224 
Stripping  the  blubber  from  the  head  of  a  sperm  whale  .  .  226 
"The  sperm  .  .  .  has  from  eighteen  to  twenty-five  massive  teeth  on 

each  side  of  the  lower  jaw;  these  fit  into  sockets  in  the  upper 

jaw  and  assist  in  holding  the  whale's  food"  ....  228 
Cutting  away  the  "junk"  from  the  "case"  of  a  sperm  whale  .  229 
An  interior  view  of  a  young  male  sperm  whale  .  .  .  .231 
The  tongue  of  a  sperm  whale;  it  is  strikingly  different  from  the 

enormous  flabby  tongue  of  the  whalebone  whales  .  .  233 
The  head  of  the  sixty-foot  sperm  whale,  the  skeleton  of  which  was 

sent  to  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History,  from  Japan  234 
A  posterior  view  of  the  head  of  the  Museum's  sperm  whale  .  236 

A  female  sperm  whale  at  Aikawa,  Japan 239 

A  posterior  view  of  the  Museum's  sperm  whale  .  .  .  .241 
Cutting  in  a  sperm  whale  at  sea  by  the  old-time  method  .  .  242 
A  model  of  a  right  whale  in  the  American  Museum  of  Natural 

History  ..........     246 

A  small  (calf)  right  whale  on  the  beach  at  Amagansett,  Lv  I.  .  247 
Stripping  the  blubber  from  the  large  right  whale  at  Amagansett  250 
The  Amagansett  whale  covered  with  ice  after  the  blubber  had 

been  stripped   off  the  carcass         ......     252 

"We  had  to  stand  in  freezing  water  while  cutting  away  at  the 

huge  mass  of  flesh  which  encased  the  bones"  .  .  .  254 
xxi 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

The  baleen  of  a  right  whale         .......     256 

The  white  whale,  or  white  porpoise     ......     268 

The  posterior  part  of  a  white  whale 271 

"A   big   white   fellow    slipped   under   only   a   hundred   feet   away, 

headed  directly   for  us"         .......     273 

"We  beached  it  in  a  sandy  cove,  where  the  gray  rock  wall  rose 
in  a  jagged  mass,  making  a  perfect  background  for  the  white 
body,  its  purity  intensified  by  the  bright  red  streaks  of  blood 
which  dripped  from  the  bullet  holes"     .....     276 

"They  are  taken  with  a  net  of  extra  heavy  twine,  about  1,000  feet 
long,  which  is  placed  about  200  yards  outside  the  line  of  surf 
and  parallel  with   it"      ........     279 

"Thirty-three   porpoises   were   beached   in   the   haul   of   the   seine 

which  provided  our  specimens"      .          .          .          .          .          .281 

"Immediately   after  their   capture  at   Hatteras  .  .  .  the   porpoises 
were  placed  for  24  hours  in  a  deep  salt  water  pond,  just  back 
of  the  ocean  beach"       ........     285 

"The  captive  porpoises  are  very  lively,  and  keep  swimming  day 

and  night,  rising  to  blow  usually  with  each  circuit  of  the  pool"     288 

A  school  of  blackfish  at  Cape  Cod 293 

A   Pacific    blackfish  (Globicephalus  scammoni)        ....     294 
A  skeleton  of  a  finback  whale  in  the  American  Museum  of  Nat- 
ural History 303 


WHALE  HUNTING 
WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH 
GUN  AND  CAMERA 


INTRODUCTION 

THE  DEVELOPMENT  OF  SHORE  WHALING 

ALTHOUGH  the  commercial  products  of  whales 
have  contributed  largely  to  the  comfort  and 
welfare  of  the  civilized  world  for  over  a  thou- 
sand years,  never  have  the  animals  been  of  greater 
economic  importance  than  they  are  today 

It  is  true  that  the  magnificent  fleet  of  ships  which 
had  its  birth  in  the  New  England  States  has  passed 
away,  and  that  the  smoke  of  cotton-mills  now  drifts 
over  the  famous  old  city  of  New  Bedford  where 
once  the  harbor  was  filled  with  the  towering  masts 
of  scores  of  whaling  vessels. 

But  as  one  chapter  of  \vhaling  history  closed  another 
opened  and  the  scene  shifted  to  Norway)  where 
T^nsberg,  a  little  city  in  Christianja  Bay,  has  become 
the  Alpha  and  Omega  of  the  modern  whaling  alpha- 
bet. It  was  there,  in  1864,  that  Svend  Foyn  invented 
the  harpoon-gun  and  brought  into  existence  the  sturdy 

I 


WtlALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

little  steamships  which  were  destined  to  take  the 
place  of  New  England's  fleet,  destroyed  by  the  Con- 
federate raiders  during  the  Civil  War. 

Although  despised  by  the  "deep-water"  whalers  of 
New  Bedford,  nevertheless  shore  whaling  has  rap- 
idly grown  into  a  world  industry  which  today,  in 
the  height  of  its  prosperity,  yields  a  revenue  of  nearly 
$70,000,000  a  year. 

In  the  old  days  only  three  species,  the  sperm,  bow- 
head  and  right  whale,  were  hunted  and  until  Svend 
Foyn  invented  the  harpoon-gun  the  fin  whales,  of 
less  commercial  value,  were  seldom  captured.  Their 
yield  of  oil  was  so  small,  and  the  whalebone  so  short 
and  coarse,  that  if  these  products  alone  were  utilized 
they  were  not  worth  the  trouble  of  killing.  More- 
over, the  great  speed  of  the  animals  in  the  water  and 
their  tendency  to  sink  when  dead  made  them  unac- 
ceptable to  the  men  who  hunted  in  a  small  boat  with 
a  hand  harpoon  and  lance. 

With  the  development  of  steam  whalers  the  situa- 
tion was  changed,  for  they  made  possible  the  cap- 
ture of  "finners"  in  sufficient  numbers  to  warrant 
the  erection  of  stations  at  certain  points  on  the  shore, 
near  the  feeding  grounds  of  the  animals,  where  the 
huge  carcasses  could  be  brought  in  and  converted  into 
commercial  products. 

The  perfection  of  the  harpoon-gun  and  steam  whale 
ships  came  only  after  long  discouragement  and  per- 
sistent effort  upon  the  part  of  Svend  Foyn.  Foyn 
was  born  in  T^nsberg  in  1809,  and  died  there  in  1894. 
He  went  to  sea  at  fourteen  in  the  merchant  service 

2 


INTRODUCTION 

and  later  entered  the  sealing  fleet  where  he  eventually 
made  considerable  money.  It  was  while  sealing  that 
he  conceived  the  idea  of  capturing  the  fin  whales  with 
a  bomb-harpoon,  and  360,000  kronen  were  spent  in 
experimenting  before  he  succeeded  in  building  a  suit- 
able gun  and  vessel. 

In  1864  he  went  to  Finmark  for  the  first  time  in 
the  small  ship  Spes  et  Fides,  but  caught  nothing  and 
was  equally  unsuccessful  in  the  two  following  years. 
In  1867  ne  secured  the  first  whales  at  Vardo,  in  Va- 
rangerfjord,  and  the  next  season  killed  30.  In  1869 
he  went  north  \vith  two  ships  but  got  only  17  whales, 
and  in  1870  only  36.  It  was  in  this  year  that  at 
Kirkeo  the  first  factory  for  converting  whale  flesh 
into  guano,  or  fertilizer,  was  built  and  successfully 
operated.  Foyn's  best  years  were  between  1871  and 
1880,  when  506  whales  were  killed,  having  a  value  of 
about  2,000,000  kronen. 

In  1877  a  competitive  company  began  work  in 
Jar  fjord,  and  in  1881  two  others  started  at  Vardo 
and  two  in  West  Finmark  near  the  North  Cape.  In 
1882  Norway  had  8  companies  and  12  ships,  and  five 
years  later  20  companies  and  35  ships.  In  1890  the 
whales  began  to  show  the  effect  of  continual  perse- 
cution, decreasing  rapidly  in  numbers,  and  five  com- 
panies shifted  their  operations  to  Iceland.  In  1896 
the  1 8  ships  hunting  there  killed  792  whales,  yielding 
49,500  barrels  of  oil;  in  the  same  season  29  ships 
off  the  Finmark  coast  caught  1,212  whales. 

From  the  very  beginning  the  Norwegian  fishermen 
were  hostile  to  the  shore  whalers,  for  they  believed 

3 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

that  the  whales  drove  the  fish  toward  the  land  and 
into  their  nets  and  that  their  industry  was  being 
greatly  injured  by  the  slaughter  of  the  animals.  Al- 
though it  has  been  clearly  demonstrated  that  whales 
have  no  direct  influence  upon  the  movements  of  fish, 
nevertheless  in  1903  the  Storthing  prohibited  shore 
whaling  altogether. 

The  efforts  of  the  Norwegian  whalers  had  been 
watched  with  interest  in  other  parts  of  the  world  and 
in  1897  shore  whaling  began  in  Newfoundland;  there 
it  thrived  amazingly,  and  by  1905  eighteen  stations 
were  in  operation  upon  the  island  and  in  its  imme- 
diate vicinity. 

In  1905  the  first  shore  station  on  the  Pacific  coast 
of  America  was  built  at  Sechart,  in  Barclay  Sound, 
on  the  west  side  of  Vancouver  Island.  This  factory 
was  under  the  management  of  the  Pacific  Whaling 
Company,  of  Victoria,  B.  C,  and  although  their 
first  season  was  not  a  success,  a  revision  of  the  meth- 
ods of  handling  the  carcasses  resulted  in  a  lucrative 
business  being  established.  In  1907  a  second  fine 
station  was  erected  at  Kyuquot,  one  hundred  miles 
north  of  Sechart. 

About  this  time  the  Tyee  Company  was  formed 
under  the  direction  of  Captains  Hibberd  and  Barneson, 
and  a  station  was  constructed  at  Murderer's  Cove, 
on  the  southern  end  of  Admiralty  Island,  Alaska.  The 
hunting  here  was  entirely  conducted  in  the  inland 
waters  of  Frederick  Sound,  and  after  a  few  seasons 
the  whales  became  so  reduced  in  numbers  that  opera- 
tions had  to  be  transferred  to  the  open  sea  about 

4 


INTRODUCTION 

Cape  Ommaney,  sixty  miles  away ;  the  Tyee  Company 
was  later  re-formed  as  the  United  States  Whaling 
Company. 

In  1910  the  Pacific  Whaling  Company  was  sold 
to  the  Canadian  North  Pacific  Fisheries,  Ltd.,  with 
stations  at  Rose  and  Naden  Harbor,  Queen  Char- 
lotte Islands,  and  Bay  City,  Washington,  besides  the 
two  Vancouver  factories.  '  Another  establishment, 
known  as  the  Alaska  Whaling  Company,  started  work 
at  Unimak  Pass,  Aleutian  Islands,  Alaska,  and  a  Nor- 
wegian firm  built  a  station  on  the  Pacific  coast  of 
Mexico. 

About  the  time  Newfoundland  became  interested  in 
shore  whaling,  the  Russians  and  Japanese  started  op- 
erations along  the  coasts  of  Siberia  and  Japan,  re- 
spectively. The  Russian  industry  there  was  abruptly 
ended  at  the  time  of  the  Russian-Japanese  \var  and 
has  not  since  been  resumed,  but  the  Japanese  have 
continued  their  work  with  great  success  and  today 
vie  with  the  Norwegians  in  the  development  of  shore 
whaling,  for  by  their  methods  almost  every  particle 
of  a  whale's  carcass  is  utilized  for  human  consump- 
tion. 

The  Toyo  Hogei  Kabushiki  Kaisha,  of  Osaka,  is 
the  largest  whaling  company  in  the  world,  owning  fif- 
teen stations  and  twice  as  many  ships,  and  conducting 
operations  in  almost  every  part  of  the  Japanese  Em- 
pire. 

The  South  African  industry  was  founded  by  Mr. 
John  Bryde,  of  Sanclefjord,  Norway,  wrho  in  1909 
erected  the  first  station  in  Durban  and  another  in  the 

5 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

following  year  in  Saldanha  Bay  on  the  west  coast. 
Stations  have  also  been  built  at  several  places  in 
Australia  and  Tasmania,  and  in  New  Zealand  hump- 
back whales  are  being  caught  in  wire  nets.  This 
method  is  so  unique  that  a  description  of  it  here  may 
be  of  interest. 

The  station  is  owned  by  the  Messrs.  Cook  Brothers 
and  is  located  south  of  the  Bay  of  Islands,  at  the  vil- 
lage of  Wangamumu.  On  their  annual  migrations 
the  humpback  whales  often  pass  through  a  narrow 
channel  just  under  Cape  Brett,  which  separates  a  clus- 
ter of  outlying  rocks  from  the  mainland,  and  makes 
an  ideal  spot  to  place  the  nets.  Having  a  stretch  of 
five  hundred  or  six  hundred  feet  and  a  depth  of  two 
hundred,  the  nets,  meshed  to  seven  feet  and  made  of 
three-eighths-inch  wire  rope,  are  hung  on  strong  cables 
buoyed  by  huge  floats  and  drogues.  When  a  whale 
is  sighted  from  the  coast,  steam  launches  place  the 
three  nets,  which  are  allowed  to  float  loose,  the  prin- 
ciple being  to  so  hamper  the  whale  by  the  entangling 
wires  that  it  falls  an  easy  prey  to  the  hunters.  What 
happens  when  a  whale  is  caught  can  best  be  told  in  the 
words  of  an  eye-witness. 

When  the  nets  are  in  position  the  launches  and  attendant 
whale-boats,  with  their  crews,  take  up  their  stations  at  some 
distance  to  watch  for  the  upheaval  and  dancing  float-line 
that  marks  the  "striking"  of  a  whale.  .  .  .  Suddenly  a  sort 
of  shudder  runs  through  the  sea.  There  are  tossing  billows 
and  wild  commotions  away  by  the  bobbing  float-lines. 
"Hurrah  !  She's  struck  !"  is  the  cry. 

Away  go  the  boats,  each  racing  to  be  first  "fast"  to  the 

6 


INTRODUCTION 

struggling  "fish"  and  so  earn  the  bonus  that  rewards  the 
winning  crew. 

A  mighty  gray-black  head,  entangled  in  a  clinging  web 
of  wire,  rears  from  out  the  water.  Up,  up,  it  goes  till  a 
huge  bulk  of  body  towers  a  good  fifty  feet  in  the  air,  its 
side  fins  thrashing  wildly  in  a  smother  of  foam.  It  curves 
in  an  arch  and  then,  like  an  arrow,  down  go  whale  and  net 
together  for  the  "sound." 

Not  for  long,  though.  The  upward  drag  of  the  bunched 
net-floats,  and  its  necessity  for  breath,  bring  the  "fish" 
quickly  to  the  surface — a  spouting,  snorting,  wallowing 
mass;  mad  with  rage,  wild  with  terror  of  the  unknown, 
clinging  horror  that  envelopes  it. 

Bang !  bang !  go  the  guns  from  each  boat,  in  quick  suc- 
cession. Both  irons  are  home  and  well  placed.  A  wild 
quiver  of  flukes  and  fins,  and  the  whale  either  "sounds" 
again  or  "races"  along  the  surface,  towing  the  boats  after 
it  at  express  speed.  But  the  net  holds  fast,  and  at  each 
new  effort  for  freedom  the  victim  becomes  more  hopelessly 
"wound  up"  than  before. 

Soon,  exhausted  with  futile  struggling,  the  whale  comes 
to  rest,  and  there  is  a  momentary  cessation  of  the  mad  fight 
as  the  leviathan  pauses  for  breath.  Huge,  panting  air-gasps 
are  plainly  audible  aboard  our  launch  at  a  distance  of  half 
a  mile. 

The  crews  are  quick  to  seize  the  opportunity.  With  the 
lance-men  ready  in  the  bow,  the  boats  sweep  in,  one  on 
either  side.  "Steady  with  the  lance."  "Now !"  Eight-foot 
steel  blades  drive  deep  for  the  heart  behind  the  pectoral  fins. 

A  shiver,  a  hissing  spout  of  water  and  blood,  a  wallow 
and  roll  of  the  huge,  wire-tangled  carcass,  flashes  of  red 
and  white  foam  in  the  sunlight,  and  the  black  heave  of  a 
twenty-foot  fin  that  for  one  dread  instant,  scimitar-shaped, 
a  falling  wall  of  bone  and  sinew,  hangs  over  the  boat  and 
its  occupants.  The  boat's  crew  back  out  like  lightning,  just 
in  time.  Down  crashes  the  mighty  flail,  missing  its  blow 

7 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

by  a  bar.e-.ioot.  There  is  a  roar  and  clap  of  many  thunders, 
and  jetting  spurts  of  spray  leap  high  into  the  blue. 

The  boats',  backed'  clear,  still  hang  to  the  lines,  the  crews 
watching  events  sand  waiting  the  end.  It  may  be  that  the 
dying  whale  will  "sound"  again,  or  "race"  in  a  final  effort. 

But,  no.  The  lances  have  gone  home.  A  few  more  wal- 
lows of  despair,  the  great  tail-flukes  thrash  the  water  with 
lessening  force,  and  presently  the  huge  body,  inert,  lifeless, 
lies'  quietly  oh  the  surface.  Hawsers  are  made  fast  to  the 
dead  whale,  and  while  the  boats  return  to  their  stations  to 
watch  the  remaining  nets  it  is  towed  by  the  launch  to  the 
flensing  jetty  ashore.1 

Since  the  beginning  of  the  last  century  the  sub- 
antarctic  islands  known  as  the  Shetlands,  South  Ork- 
neys, Falklands,  South  Georgia  and  Kerguelen  have 
proved  to  be  the  greatest  whaling  grounds  of  modern 
times,  and  are  today  yielding  nearly  $35,000,000  per 
year — 'just  one-half  of  the  total  world  revenue  de- 
rived from  the  shore  whaling  industry.  On  South 
Georgia  alone,  eight  companies  with  headquarters  in 
Norway,  England,  Scotland,  and  Argentina  are  in 
operation,  and  all  the  other  islands  have  one  or  more 
stations  or  "floating  factories." 

In  South  America  there  are  several  stations  on  the 
coast  of  Brazil,  Argentina,  and  Chile,  and  operations 
are  also  being  carried  on  at  Spitzbergen,  the  Faroe 
Islands,  Shetland,  the  Hebrides,  Greenland,  and  the 
Galapagos  Islands.  Shore  \vhaling  is,  therefore,  a 
world  industry  in  the  truest  sense  of  the  word. 

When  it  was  discovered  that  in  certain  localities 
the  whales  were  being  rapidly  killed  off  and  the  vessels 

1  D.  W.  O.  Fagan  in  the  Wide  World  Magazine,  pp.  423-432. 

8 


INTRODUCTION 


A  modern  shore  whaling  station  at  Kyuquot,  Vancouver  Island, 
B.  C  The  flensing  slip,  carcass  platform  and  wharf  are 
shown  in  the  foreground.  In  the  background  is  the  manager's 
dwelling. 

had  to  hunt  so  far  from  the  stations  as  to  make  the 
trip  unprofitable,  the  "floating  factory"  was  devised. 
This  is  a  large  steamship  of  five  or  six  thousand  tons 
which  is  fitted  with  huge  boiling  vats  and  can  be  moved 
about  from  place  to  place  as  the  whales  themselves 
travel.  Usually  two  or  three  steamers  operate  from 
one  floating  factory  for  formerly  when  only  the  blub- 
ber was  used  and  the  carcass  was  turned  adrift,  one 
ship  could  not  supply  enough  whales  to  make  the  work 
profitable.  These  factories  are  used  most  extensively 
on!  the  South  Atlantic  grounds. 

The  modern  shore  station  is  usually  situated  in  a 


;9 


INTRODUCTION 

bay  or  cove  not  far  from  the  open  sea.  The  flensing 
slip  and  carcass  platforms  are  the  most  striking  por- 
tions of  the  establishment,  and  these  are  surrounded 
by  boiling  vats,  the  machine  for  drying  the  flesh,  the 
engine  house,  wharf,  bunk  houses,  offices,  and  the 
dwelling  of  the  manager,  the  whole  -forming  an  im- 
posing group  of  buildings. 

Many  of  the  whaling  stations  have  very  comfort- 
able quarters  and  those  on  the  bleak  islands  of  the 
South  Atlantic  are  even  luxurious.  The  manager's 
house  is  often  beautifully  furnished,  with  electric 
light,  bathrooms,  and  even  steam  heat,  so  that  when 
one  becomes  accustomed  to  the  all-pervading  odor 
from  the  "dryer,"  the  station  is  a  delightful  place 
at  which  to  work.  Although  each  one  differs  in  re- 
spect to  food,  nevertheless  the  meals  are  for  the 
most  part  excellent,  for  the  managers  realize  that 
if  their  men  are  to  be  contented  they  must  be  well 
fed. 

The  whaling  ships  usually  return  to  the  station 
each  night  and,  if  one  is  free  from  seasickness,  fur- 
nish a  rather  inviting  home  for  a  short  stay.  They 
are  trim,  high-bowed  vessels  of  about  one  hundred 
tons  burden,  ninety  to  one  hundred  feet  long,  and  have 
a  speed  of  from  nine  to  twelve  knots  per  hour.  Round- 
bottomed  to  facilitate  speedy  manipulation,  they  ride 
the  water  like  a  cork  but  roll  and  pitch  almost  beyond 
belief  in  the  slightest  seaway. 

Most  striking  of  all  the  upper  works  is  the  harpoon- 
gun  mounted  upon  a  heavy  iron  support  at  the  very 
bow.  It  is  a  short  cannon,  51^/2  inches  long,  with  a 

ii 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

3-inch  bore,  and  turns  easily  upon  a  swivel  up  and 
down  and  from  side  to  side. 

At  the  butt  end,  under  a  short  wooden  handle,  is 
an  iron  lever,  the  trigger,  which  when  pressed  up- 
ward explodes  the  gun.  The  charge  is  300  to  375 
drams  of  very  coarse,  black  powder  which  is  sewed 
up  in  a  cheesecloth  sack  and  rammed  home  from  the 
muzzle;  then  come  wads  of  qkum,  hard  rubber  or 
cork,  and  wool,  after  which  the  harpoon,  well  greased, 
is  pushed  in  and  hammered  solidly  into  place  with  a 
wooden  mallet.  Some  guns  require  more  powder  than 
others  but  if  too  much  is  used  the  iron  will  be  bent 
as  it  leaves  the  muzzle. 

The  harpoon  is  76  inches  in  length,  and  has  a  double 
shaft,  at  the  end  of  which  are  4  twelve-inch  flukes, 
or  barbs;  these  are  tied  to  the  shaft  but  spread  widely 
upon  entering  the  whale's  body  and  prevent  the  iron 
from  drawing  out.  The  harpoon  is  tipped  with  a  hol- 
low point,  called  the  "bomb,"  which  is  filled  with  pow- 
der and  ignited  by  a  time  fuse  set  for  the  desired  in- 
terval. Three  or  four  seconds  after  the  gun  is  fired 
the  bomb  bursts,  frequently  killing  the  whale  almost 
instantly. 

The  harpoon  is  made  of  the  best  Swedish  iron  and 
weighs  one  hundred  and  ten  pounds.  After  it  has 
been  fired  into  the  body  of  a  whale  it  is  usually  badly 
bent  and  twisted,  but  the  tough,  elastic  iron  can  be 
straightened  by  the  station  blacksmith  and  made  as 
good  as  new. 

Aiarge  ring  slides  easily  along  the  double  shaft  of 
the  harpoon,  and  to  this  one  end  of  a  five-inch  rope 

12 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

is  fastened.  Forty  or  fifty  fathoms  of  a  somewhat 
smaller  line,  called  the  "forerunner,"  are  coiled  on  a 
heavy  iron  pan  just  under  the  gun,  giving  slack  to 
be  carried  with  the  harpoon  as  it  flies  through  the 
air. 

From  the  pan  the  rope  passes  backward  over  a 
roller  in  the  bow  of  the  ship  to  a  double  winch  just 
in  front  of  the  bridge  and  down  into  the  hold,  where 
a  thousand  fathoms  (6,000  feet),  or  more,  are  car- 
ried. By  means  of  the  winch  the  whale  is  "played" 
as  one  would  use  a  reel  on  a  fishing  rod,  and  after  the 
animal  has  been  killed  it  is  hauled  to  the  surface  and 
fastened  to  the  side  of  the  ship. 

The  harpoon  lines  are  made  of  the  finest  Italian 
hemp  and  tested  for  a  breaking  point  of  eighteen  tons, 
but  the  forerunner  is  tested  for  only  fifteen  or  sixteen 
tons.  Seme,  made  especially  for  use  in  hunting  the 
giant  blue  whale,  will  resist  a  strain  of  twenty-eight 
tons.  If  a  tight  line  is  kept  and  there  are  no  sudden 
jerks  the  ropes  seldom  break. 

Not  far  beyond  the  winch  the  mast  is  stepped,  bear- 
ing near  its  peak  a  small  barrel,  called  the  "crow's 
nest,"  from  which  the  whales  are  sighted. 

The  vessels  carry  a  crew  of  ten  or  twelve  men  be- 
side the  captain,  who  is  usually  also  the  gunner.  In 
Japan  vessels  are  required  by  the  coasting  laws  to  have 
a  Japanese  in  command,  and  consequently  a  native 
captain  is  employed  who  takes  the  ship  in  and  out 
of  the  harbor.  He  is  really  the  pilot,  and  the  vessel 
is  turned  over  to  the  Norwegian  gunner  as  soon  as 
the  open  sea  is  reached. 

14 


The  harpoon  is  tipped  with  a  hollow  point  called  the  "bomb," 
which  is  filled  with  powder  and  ignited  by  a  time  fuse.  The 
barbs,  or  flukes,  are  tied  to  the  shaft  of  the  iron. 


' 


The  harpoon  after  it  has  been  fired  into  the  body  of  a  whale. 
The  bomb  has  exploded  and  the  shaft  is  bent. 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

Although  in  various  parts  of  the  world  I  have  met 
two  or  three  gunners  who  were  not  Norwegians,  there 
are  not  many  such.  From  their  Viking  ancestors  the 
Scandinavians  have  inherited  their  love  for  the  sea 
and,  since  Svend  Foyn's  time,  T^nsberg  has  sent  forth 

r    wmaamm. 


A  trial  shot  with  the  harpoon-gun.     The  harpoon  line  is  shown, 
and  three  men  may  be  seen  in  the  barrel  at  the  mast  head. 


her  sons  to  the  whaleships  much  as  did  New  Bedford 
half  a  century  ago.  Thus  the  present  generation  has 
grown  up  as  the  industry  developed,  and  from  boys 
to  men  they  have  seen  it  in  all  its  phases  and  learned 
not  only  how  to  shoot  a  whale  but  how  to  handle  it 
afterward,  which  is  fully  as  important. 

Even  as  the  harpoon-gun  brought  with  it  a  new 

16 


INTRODUCTION 

era  of  whaling,  so  it  gave  to  the  scientist  undreamed- 
of opportunities  for  the  study  of  cetaceans.  Until 
shore  stations  were  established,  few  indeed  were  the 
naturalists  who  had  examined  more  than  five  or  six 
whales  during  their  entire  lives.  These  carcasses  were 
usually  of  whales  which  had  met  with  some  accident 
at  sea  and  had  been  cast  up  on  the  beach;  almost  al- 
ways the  animals  had  been  dead  for  days  before  they 
came  under  the  notice  of  a  competent  scientific  ob- 
server, and  had  lost  much  of  their  original  proportions 
and  color.  A  whale's  body  begins  to  generate  gases 
at  an  astounding  rate  as  soon  as  the  animal  is  dead, 
and  within  a  very  few  hours  becomes  so  swelled  and 
distorted  that  the  true  proportions  are  almost  lost. 
Even  trained  naturalists  did  not  always  take  this  fact 
into  consideration,  and  their  descriptions  and  figures 
were  consequently  notable  chiefly  for  their  inaccu- 
racy. 

It  is  only  within  a  very  few  years  that  it  has  been 
generally  recognized  how  rapidly  cetaceans  change 
color  when  dead,  and  often  in  scientific  papers  whales 
are  described  as  "black"  which  are  never  black  in  life. 
By  far  the  greater  number  of  whales  and  dolphins 
have  various  shades  of  slate,  or  gray,  on  the  upper 
parts,  and  if  exposed  to  the  sun  for  a  few  hours  these 
portions  turn  jet  black. 

Again,  there  is  in  all  cetaceans  great  variation 
among  individuals  of  the  same  species,  and  whales 
from  the  same  school  or  "pod"  may  differ  widely  in 
proportions  and  general  color.  Some  may  be  long 
and  slender,  others  short  and  thick;  one  may  have 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

a  light  gray  back  and  pure  white  underparts,  while  a 
second,  taken  from  the  same  herd,  is  dark  slate  above 
and  strongly  shaded  below;  and,  moreover,  the  skele- 
tons often  vary  almost  as  greatly  as  the  external 
characters. 

Quite  naturally  when  these  extremes  came  under 


A  near  view  as  the  gun  is  fired  at  a  target.     The  harpoon  rope 
is  visible  through  the  smoke. 

the  notice  of  a  scientist  who  had,  perhaps,  seen  but 
three  or  four  whales  in  his  entire  life,  they  were  at 
once  judged  to  be  representative  of  different  species 
and  were  given  new  names.  This  course  cannot  be 
wholly  condemned,  for  under  existing  conditions  it 
was  almost  the  only  one  to  be  followed.  Although 
it  did  put  on  record  many  valuable  facts  concerning 

18 


INTRODUCTION 

the  history  of  the  animals,  it  also  resulted  in  mul- 
tiplying nominal  species  to  such  an  extent  that  the 
work  of  later  investigators  in  separating  the  valid 
from  the  invalid  has  become  a  herculean  task;  quite 
false  conclusions  as  to  the  distribution  of  the  various 
whales  were  also  drawn,  which  only  a  vast  amount  of 
labor  and  study  can  rectify. 

The  number  of  whales  taken  during  a  season  varies 
greatly  with  the  locality,  but  at  one  of  the  Vancouver 
Island  stations  when  I  was  there  in  1908,  three  hun- 
dred and  twenty-five  were  killed  in  seven  months  by 
one  ship.  In  a  single  week  twenty-six  whales  were 
captured,  and  on  June  10,  the  6\  5\  St.  Lawrence, 
Captain  Larsen,  brought  in  four  humpbacks,  one  blue 
whale,  and  one  finback. 

\Yhales  are  such  enormous  creatures  that  the  ordi- 
nary methods  used  in  the  study  of  other  animals  can- 
•not  be  applied  to  them.  Instead  of  having  actual 
specimens  before  one  for  comparison,  a  naturalist 
must  depend  almost  entirely  upon  photographs,  notes, 
measurements,  and  descriptions. 

Until  shore  whaling  began  such  data  were  rare  and 
most  unsatisfactory.  When  a  whale  is  cut  in  as  it 
lies  along  the  side  of  a  ship,  it  is  never  possible  to 
see  the  entire  animal  at  once ;  it  is  almost  impossible 
to  secure  photographs  of  real  value  for  comparative 
work,  and  even  measurements  can  be  taken  only  with 
difficulty  and  not  without  a  large  percentage  of  error. 
Internal  anatomical  investigations  are  out  of  the  ques- 
tion, because  as  soon  as  the  blubber  has  been  stripped 
off  the  carcass  is  turned  adrift. 

19 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

By  the  establishment  of  shore  stations  these  diffi- 
culties have  been  largely  eliminated.  The  whales  are 
usually  drawn  entirely  out  of  the  water  upon  the  slip 
where,  before  the  blubber  is  stripped  off,  they  can  be 
measured,  photographed,  and  described.  As  they  are 
being  cut  in  it  is  possible  to  make  a  fairly  detailed 
study  of  the  fresh  skeleton  and  other  parts  of  the 
anatomy — if  the  investigator  is  not  afraid  of  blood  and 
grease.  Moreover  the  great  number  of  whales  of  a 
single  species  brought  to  the  stations  allows  a  study 
of  individual  variation,  which  evidently  is  greater 
among  some  of  the  large  cetaceans  than  in  other  groups 
of  mammals. 

Since  shore  stations  are  located  in  widely  separated 
parts  of  the  world,  they  have  facilitated  investiga- 
tions of  the  distribution,  life  history,  and  relation- 
ships of  large  whales,  which  otherwise  would  have 
been  impossible.  Thus  it  is  obvious  that  a  naturalist 
who  is  fortunate  enough  to  stay  for  some  time  at  a 
modern  factory  has  opportunities  for  original  work 
such  as  were  undreamed  of  before  the  days  of  steam 
whaling. 

The  directors  of  the  companies,  and  the  managers 
of  the  stations,  have  usually  been  glad  to  assist  in 
the  study  of  the  animals  which  form  the  basis  of 
their  industry,  and  have  generously  extended  the  cour- 
tesies of  their  ships  and  stations.  In  some  instances 
they  have  gone  to  considerable  trouble  to  secure  speci- 
mens which  could  be  prepared  and  presented  to  mu- 
seums in  various  parts  of  the  world  for  exhibition 
and  osteological  study.  It  is  deeply  to  be  regretted 

20 


INTRODUCTION 

that  the  wholesale  slaughter  of  whales  will  inevitably 
result  in  their  early  commercial  extinction,  but  mean- 
while science  is  profiting  by  the  golden  opportunities 
given  for  the  study  of  these  strange  and  interesting 
animals.  Thus,  the  old  saying  that  "it  is  a.n  ill  wind 
that  blows  good  to  no  one"  applies  very  decidedly  to 
the  whaling  industry. 


CHAPTER  I 
MY  FIRST  WHALE  HUNT 

GREAT  lumbering  swells  of  gray  water  rolling 
out  of  the  fog  from  the  wide  sweep  of  the 
open  Pacific  were  the  picture  I  saw  through 
the  round,  brass-bound  frame  of  the  porthole  on  the 
5\  5.  Tecs.  It  was  the  last  of  May,  but  the  cold  of 
winter  still  hung  in  the  sea  air,  and  even  when  we 
drew  in  toward  the  foot  of  the  mountains  which  poked 
their  fir-clad  summits  far  up  into  the  mist  clouds,  I 
shivered  in  my  heavy  coat  and  tramped  about  on  deck 
to  keep  warm.  Finally  when  we  were  right  under 
the  towering  mountain's  walls,  we  swung  abruptly 
into  smooth  water,  the  long  roll  and  pitch  of  the  ship 
slackened  and  died,  and  we  were  quietly  plowing 
our  way  up  river-like  Barclay  Sound,  which,  from 
the  west  coast,  cuts  into  the  very  heart  of  Vancouver 
Island. 

It  was  hardly  six  o'clock  in  the  morning  when  the 
wail  of  the  ship's  siren  whistle  shot  into  the  deep 
mountain  valley  where  the  station  of  the  (former) 
Pacific  Whaling  Company  is  located  at  the  one-time 
Indian  village  of  Sechart.  With  a  great  deal  of  curi- 
osity I  strained  my  eyes  through  the  fog  to  study  the 
group  of  white  frame  buildings  \vhich  straggled  up 
from  the  water's  edge  back  into  the  valley. 

22 


MY  FIRST  WHALE  HUNT 

I  could  see  only  one  or  two  Indians,  clad  in  dirty 
shirts  and  overalls,  loafing  about  placidly  staring  at 
the  ship,  but  by  the  time  she  had  been  warped  in  and 
the  winch  had  started  to  swing  aboard  the  great  oil 
casks  which  lined  the  wharf,  two  pleasant- faced  men 
appeared,  one  of  whom  I  learned  was  Mr.  Quinton, 


Captain  Balcom  at  the  gun  on  the  Orion. 

the  station  manager ;  to  him  my  letters  were  presented. 
With  him  was  Mr.  Rolls,  the  secretary  of  the  station, 
who  showed  me  to  a  room  at  the  house.  I  got  out 
of  my  ''store  clothes"  and  came  down  to  the  wharf, 
now  lined  writh  men  of  six  nationalities — for  Norwe- 
gians, Americans,  Newfoundlanders,  Indians,  Chi- 
nese, and  Japanese  are  employed  at  these  west  coast 
stations. 

23 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

Tied  up  to  the  side  of  the  pier  was  the  ship  Orion. 
She  was  typical  of  all  steam  whalers,  had  been  built 
in  Norway  and  made,  under  her  own  steam,  the  long 
stormy  passage  across  the  Atlantic  to  Newfoundland. 
A  few  years  of  work  there  and  she  started  for  the 
Pacific  around  the  Horn,  beating  her  way  northward 
to  the  scene  of  her  present  work  at  Sechart. 

The  Orion  had  not  gone  to  sea  that  morning,  for 
the  fog  outside  made  it  useless  to  hunt;  even 
if  the  ship  could  have  kept  her  bearings  in  the 
mist  it  would  have  been  impossible  to  see  the  spout 
of  a  whale,  or  to  follow  the  animal  if  one  were 
found. 

The  crew  were  all  ashore,  and  I  met  Captain  Bal- 
com,  an  alert  young  Canadian,  and  one  of  the  few 
successful  gunners  who  was  not  a  Norwegian.  He 
offered  at  once  to  take  me  "outside"  with  him  when 
the  weather  cleared  but  said  we  would  see  only  hump- 
backs, for  the  blue  whales  and  finbacks  had  not  yet 
appeared  on  these  hunting  grounds.  At  Kyuquot,  a 
station  only  one  hundred  miles  farther  up  the  coast, 
blue  whales  and  finbacks  were  taken  with  the  hump- 
backs in  March  as  soon  as  the  station  opened,  while 
at  Sechart  they  did  not  come  until  July. 

When  the  station  was  first  located  at  Sechart,  hump- 
backs were  frequently  taken  in  Barclay  Sound  but 
were  soon  all  killed,  and  others  did  not  take  their 
places!-  At  the  time  I  was  there,  the  Orion  seldom 
found  whales  less  than  thirty  miles  at  sea.  She  usu- 
ally arr-ived  about  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  dropped 
her  catch,  and  in  half  or  three-quarters  of  an  hour 

24 


MY  FIRST  WHALE  HUNT 

was  again  on  the  way  out  in  order  to  reach  the  feed- 
ing grounds  shortly  after  daylight. 

I  went  aboard  with  Captain  Balcom  at  ten  o'clock 
and  turned  in  on  the  Mate's  bunk.  The  cabin  was 
small,  but  not  uncomfortable,  and  it  was  not  long 
before  I  was  asleep.  I  did  not  even  hear  the  ropes 
being  cast  off  in  the  morning  and  only  waked  when 
the  boy  came  down  to  call  the  Captain.  We  were 
well  down  the  Sound  when  I  came  on  deck,  and  were 
steaming  swiftly  along  among  little  wooded  islets  half 
shrouded  in  gray  fog.  Far  ahead  the  ugly,  foam- 
flecked  rocks  of  Cape  Beale  stretched  out  in  a  dan- 
gerous line  guarding  the  entrance  to  the  Straits  of 
Juan  de  Fuca;  beyond  was  a  sheer  wall  of  mist  shut- 
ting us  out  from  the  open  sea. 

The  Captain  was  sure  it  was  only  a  land  fog  hang- 
ing along  the  coastline,  and  that  we  would  soon  run 
through  it  into  clear  air.  As  the  ship  rose  to  the 
long  swells  of  gray  water  and  burrowed  her  way 
straight  ahead  deeper  and  deeper  into  the  mist,  every- 
one on  deck  was  drenched  and  shivering.  Fifteen 
minutes  of  steaming  at  full  speed  and  the  gray  cur- 
tain began  to  thin;  soon  we  ran  out  of  it  altogether. 

There  was  not  a  big  sea  running,  but  the  little  Orion 
was  dancing  about  like  a  cork.  Balcom  said,  "It  is 
calm  wreather  so  long  as  she  keeps  her  decks  dry," 
and  with  this  rather  dubious  comfort  I  settled  down 
to  get  used  to  the  tossing  as  best  I  could. 

Everything  was  intensely  interesting  to  me,  for  it 
was  my  first  trip  on  a  steam  whaler.  Already  a  man 
had  been  sent  aloft  and  was  unconcernedly  swinging 

25 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

about  with  glasses  at  his  eyes  watching  the  water 
ahead.  I  learned  later,  when  seasickness  was  a  thing 
of  the  past,  what  a  wonderful  view  can  be  had  from 
the  crow's  nest.  The  whole  level  sea  is  laid  out  be- 
low like  a  relief  map  and  every  floating  object,  even 


Loading  the  harpoon-gun.  "The  charge  is  300  to  375  drams  of 
very  coarse,  black  powder  which  is  ...  rammed  home  from 
the  muzzle;  then  come  wads  of  okum,  hard  rubber  or  cork, 
after  which  the  harpoon  ...  is  hammered  solidly  into  place." 


the  smallest  birds,  shows  with  startling  distinctness. 
And  if  it  is  comparatively  smooth,  one  can  look  far 
down  into  the  water  and  see  a  whale  or  shark  long 
before  it  is  visible  at  the  surface  or  to  those  on  deck. 
Before  we  left  the  station,  the  harpoon-gun  had 
not  been  loaded.  The  muzzle  was  plugged  with  a 
wooden  block  and  the  iron  rope-pan  drawn  upward 

26 


MY  FIRST  WHALE  HUNT 

and  tied  against  the  gun's  support.  When  coming  in 
from  the  last  trip  the  vessel  had  encountered  heavy 
weather,  and  the  rope  was  taken  off  the  pan  to  pre- 
vent it  from  being  carried  away  by  a  wave  and  foul- 
ing the  propeller.  Now  as  we  were  nearing  the  feed- 
ing grounds,  the  Bo's'n  went  forward  to  load  the 
gun,,  re-coil  the  harpoon  line,  and  see  that  all  was  clear 
and  running  smoothly. 

The  men  on  board  were  greatly  interested  in  my 
camera  and  anxious  that  opportunities  might  be  given 
for  pictures.  For  two  hours,  with  the  Chief  Engi- 
neer and  the  Mate,  I  sat  aft  on  the  great  coil  of 
towing  line,  used  only  in  very  heavy  weather,  lis- 
tening to  stories  of  the  idiosyncrasies  of  whales, 
especially  humpbacks.  Their  firm  conviction  was  that 
one -never  could  guess  what  a  "hump"  was  going  to 
do — except  that  it  would  be  exactly  what  was  least 
expected. 

The  Engineer  had  just  finished  telling  about  a  big 
fellow  that  a  few  days  before  had  come  up  in  front 
of  the  ship  and  swam  towards  it  with  his  enormous 
mouth  wide  open,  when  the  man  in  the  barrel  called 
down,  "Whales  on  the  port  bow!" 

I  jumped  as  though  a  bomb  had  been  exploded  and 
grabbed  my  camera.  The  other  men  took  things 
rather  quietly,  for  the  whales  were  still  a  long  way 
off.  The  Captain  tried  to  -show  me  the  spouts  but 
it  was  several  minutes  before  I  could  distinguish 
the  white  columns  of  vapor  shooting  up  every  few 
seconds. 

There  were  three  of  them — all  humpbacks.  On  the 

27 


5 


5  c 

03    O 


Eu 


MY  FIRST  WHALE  HUNT 

instant,  the  dark  bodies  slowly  rounded  into  view 
and  three  huge,  propeller-like  tails  were  smoothly  lifted 
out  of  the  water,  elevated  vertically  to  the  surface, 
and  again  drawn  below.  It  is  impossible  to  describe 


"The  man  in  the  barrel  called  down,  'Whales  on  the  port  bow !' " 

the  ease  and  beauty  of  the  dive.    To  look  at  the  heavy 
body  and  long,  ungainly  flippers  of  a  humpback  one 
would  hardly  suspect  that  there   could  be   grace   in 
any  movement,  and  yet  the  enormous  animals  slide 
under  the  surface  as  smoothly  as  a  water  bird. 
When  the  flukes  came  out,  the  Captain  rang  for 
29 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

half-speed,  for  the  whales  would  probably  be  down 
several  minutes.  Turning  the  wheel  over  to  the  Mate, 
he  went  forward  to  the  gun,  pushed  up  the  spring 
which  cocked  it,  and  waited,  alert,  for  the  animals 
to  rise. 

I  had  descended  with  him  from  the  bridge  and  stood 
just  behind  the  gun  platform.  The  ship,  her  engines 
stopped,  was  rolling  about  on  the  mirror-like  patches 
of  water  left  by  the  whales  as  they  went  down.  After 
ten  minutes  of  waiting  three  silvery  clouds  suddenly 
shot  upward  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away.  Instantly  the 
engine  signal  rang  and  the  ship  swung  about,  plowing 
through  the  water  at  full  speed  until  the  whales 
sounded.  For  two  hours  this  kept  on.  Each  time 
when  we  were  almost  within  range  the  big  fellows 
would  raise  themselves  a  little  higher,  arch  their  backs, 
and  turn  downward  in  a  beautiful  dive,  waving  their 
huge  flukes  as  though  in  derision. 

I  had  my  notebook  and  pencil  at  work  as  well  as 
the  camera  but  it  was  getting  pretty  difficult  to  use 
either.  The  wind  had  risen  and  I  was  deathly  sea- 
sick ;  even  the  best  sailors  lose  their  "sea  legs"  when 
aboard  one  of  these  little  eggshell  boats  after  a  long 
period  ashore,  and  mine  were  gone  completely.  The 
Orion  was  twisting  and  writhing  about  as  though  pos- 
sessed of  a  demon,  and  every  time  she  climbed  a  huge 
wave  to  rock  uncertainly  a  moment  on  the  crest  and 
then  plunge  headlong  down  its  smooth,  green  slope, 
I  was  certain  she  would  never  rise  again.  Balcom 
was  doggedly  hanging  to  the  gun,  but  just  after  we 
had  both  been  soaked  by  a  big  sea  that  came  over 

30 


MY  FIRST  WHALE  HUNT 

the  ship's  nose  he  shouted,  "If  we  don't  get  a  shot 
soon  we'll  have  to  leave  them." 

At  that  time  we  were  heading  for  the  whales,  which 
were  spouting  only  a  short  distance  away.  One  of 
them  had  left  the  others  and  seemed  to  be  feeding. 
He  was  swimming  at  the  surface,  sometimes  under 
for  a  second  or  two,  but  never  far  down.  The  ship 
slid  nearer  and  nearer  with  engines  at  dead  slow  until 
the  huge  body  disappeared  not  thirty  fathoms  away. 

"In  a  minute  he'll  come  again,"  shouted  Balcom, 
feet  braced  and  bending  low  over  the  gun. 

I  was  clinging  to  a  rope  just  behind  him,  trying  to 
focus  the  camera,  but  the  flying  spray  made  it  well- 
nigh  impossible.  Suddenly  I  saw  the  Captain's  mus- 
cles -tighten,  the  tip  of  the  harpoon  drop  an  inch 
or  two,  and  caught  a  glimpse  of  a  phantom  shape 
rushing  upward. 

Almost  on  the  instant  a  blinding  cloud  of  vapor 
shot  into  our  very  faces,  followed  by  the  deafening 
roar  of  the  gun.  I  saw  the  black  flukes  whirl  up- 
ward and  fall  in  one  tremendous,  smashing  blow  upon 
the  water;  then  the  giant  figure  quivered  an  instant, 
straightened  out,  and  slowly  sank.  For  a  moment 
not  a  sound  was  heard  on  the  vessel  save  the  steady 
"flop,  flop,  flop"  of  the  line  on  the  deck  as  the  dead 
weight  of  forty  tons  dragged  it  from  the  winch. 

Balcom  leaned  over  the  side  and  saw  the  rope 
hanging  rigidly  from  the  ship's  bow.  "I  must  have 
caught  him  in  the  heart,"  he  said,  "and  killed  him  in- 
stantly." 

As  the  Captain  straightened  up  he  shouted  to  the 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

Engineer  to  check  the  line.  Then  began  the  work  of 
bringing  to  the  surface  and  inflating  the  dead  whale. 
Taking  a  hitch  about  a  short  iron  post,  the  harpoon 
rope  was  slacked  and  run  through  a  spring  pulley- 
block  on  the  mast,  just  below  the  barrel,  to  relieve 


"Two  men  with  long-handled  knives  began  to  cut  off  the  lobes 
of  the  tail." 


the  strain  of  raising  the  great  body.  As  the  winch 
ground  in  fathom  after  fathom  of  line  the  vessel  heeled 
far  over  under  the  tremendous  weight.  I  was  cling- 
ing to  the  ship's  side  looking  down  into  the  water 
and  soon  saw  the  shadowy  outline  of  the  whale,  fins 
wide  spread,  nearing  the  surface.  As  it  came  along- 

32 


MY  FIRST  WHALE  HUNT 

side  a  lead-weighted  line  was  thrown  over  the  tail, 
a  rope  pulled  after  it,  then  a  small  chain,  and  finally 
the  heavy  chain  by  which  the  carcass  was  made  fast 
to  the  bow. 

The  winch  had  not  yet  stopped  when  two  men  with 
long-handled  knives  began  to  cut  off  the  lobes  of  the 
tail  to  prevent  the  flukes  from  pounding  the  rail  as 
the  body  swung  up  and  down  in  the  seaway.  Al- 
ready other  sailors  were  working  at  a  long*  coil  of 
small  rubber  hose,  one  end  of  which  was  attached 
to  an  air  pump  and  the  other  to  a  hollow,  spear- 
pointed  tube  of  steel,  perforated  along  its  entire 
length.  This  was  jabbed  well  dowrn  into  the  whale's 
abdomen,  the  engines  started,  and  the  animal  slowly 
filled,  with  air.  When  the  body  had  been  inflated  suf- 
ficiently to  keep  it  afloat,  the  tube  was  withdrawn  and 
the  incision  plugged  with  oakum. 

The  other  whales  were  a  long  way  off  when  the 
ship  was  ready  to  start.  The  man  in  the  "top"  re- 
ported them  as  far  to  the  south  and  traveling  fast. 
As  there  was  little  chance  of  getting  another  shot 
that  day  and  the  wind  was  blowing  half  a  gale,  the 
Captain  decided  to  turn  about  and  run  for  the  sta- 
tion. 

We  reached  Sechart  at  1 130  A.  M.  and  the  whale 
was  left  floating  in  the  water,  tied  to  the  end  of  the 
wharf  near  a  long  inclined  platform  called  the  "slip"; 
then  the  Orion  put  out  to  sea  and  I  went  to  bed  at  the 
station.  I  shall  never  forget  my  intense  surprise  next 
morning  when  I  saw  the  humpback  "cut  in."  Work 
began  at  seven  o'clock,  and  as  the  Manager  had  just 

33 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

awakened  me,  I  ran  out  and  did  not  wait  for  break- 
fast, thinking  there  would  be  ample  time  to  eat  when 
the  operations  were  under  way.  It  soon  became  evi- 
dent, however,  that  there  were  no  breathing  spells 
when  whales  were  being  cut  in,  and  every  soul  was 


"A  hollow,  spear-pointed  tube  of  steel  .  .  .  was  jabbed  well  down 
into  the  whale's  abdomen,  the  engines  started,  and  the  animal 
slowly  filled  with  air." 

at  his  work  until  the  last  scrap  of  flesh  was  in  the 
boiling  vats. 

After  a  heavy  wire  cable  had  been  made  fast  about 
the  posterior  part  of  the  whale,  just  in  front  of  the 
flukes,  the  winch  was  started.  The  cable  straightened 
out,  tightened,  and  became  as  rigid  as  a  bar  of  steel. 
Slowly  foot  after  foot  of  the  wire  was  wound  in  and 

34 


MY  FIRST  WHALE  HUNT 

the  enormous  carcass,  weighing  at  least   forty  tons, 
was  drawn  out  of  the  water  upon  the  slip. 

One  of  the  Japanese  scrambled  up  the  whale's  side 
and,  balancing  himself  en  the  smooth  surface  by  the 
aid  of  his  long  knife,  made  his  way  forward  to  sever 
at  the  "elbow"  the  great  side  fin,  or  flipper,  fifteen 
feet  in  length. 

Before  the  carcass  was  half  out  of  the  water  other 
cutters  were  making  longitudinal  incisions  through  the 
blubber  along  the  breast,  side,  and  back,  from  the  head 
the  entire  length  of  the  body  to  the  flukes.  The  cable 
was  made  fast  to  the  blubber  at  the  chin,  the  winch 
started,  and  the  thick  layer  of  fat  stripped  off  ex- 
actly as  one  would  peel  an  orange.  When  the  upper 
side  had  been  denuded  of  its  blubber  covering,  the 
whale  was  turned  over  by  means  of  the  canting  winch, 
and  the  other  surface  was  flensed  in  the  same  manner. 

It  was  a  busy  and  interesting  scene.  The  strange, 
unfamiliar  cries  of  the  Orientals  mingled  with  the 
shouts  of  the  cutters  and  the  jarring  rattle  of  the 
winch  as  the  huge  strips  of  fat  were  torn  from  the 
whale's  body,  fed  into  the  slicing  machine,  carried 
upward,  and  dumped  into  enormous  vats  to  be  boiled 
or  "tried  out"  for  the  oil. 

When  the  blubber  was  entirely  gone,  the  carcass 
was  split  open  by  chopping  through  the  ribs  of  the 
upper  side  and  cutting  into  the  abdomen,  letting  a 
ton  or  more  of  blood  pour  out  and  spread  in  a  crim- 
son flood  over  the  slip.  A  hook  was  attached  to  the 
tongue  bones  (hyoids)  and  the  heart,  lungs,  liver,  and 
intestines  were  drawn  out  in  a  single  mass. 

35 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

The  body  was  then  hauled  to  the  "carcass  plat- 
form" at  right  angles  to,  and  somewhat  above,  the 
"flensing  slip,"  the  flesh  was  torn  from  the  bones  in 
two  or  three  great  masses  by  the  aid  of  the  winch,  and 
the  skeleton  disarticulated. 


Flensing  a  whale  at  one  of  the  Vancouver  Island  stations.     A 
great  strip  of  blubber  is  being  torn  from  the  animal's  side. 


After  the  bones  had  been  split  and  the  flesh  cut  into 
chunks  two  or  three  feet  square,  they  were  boiled 
separately  in  great  open  vats  which  bordered  the  car- 
cass platform  on  both  sides.  When  the  oil  had  been 
extracted,  the  bones  were  crushed  by  machinery  mak- 
ing bone  meal  to  be  used  as  fertilizer,  and  the  flesh, 
artificially  dried  and  sifted,  was  converted  into  a 

36 


MY  FIRST  WHALE  HUNT 

very  fine  guano.  Even  the  blood,  of  which  there 
were  several  tons,  was  carefully  drained  from  the  slip 
into  a  large  tank,  and  boiled  and  dried  for  fertilizer. 
Finally,  the  water  in  which  the  blubber  had  been 
tried  out  was  converted  into  glue. 

The  baleen,  or  whalebone,  which  alone  remained  to 
be  disposed  of,  was  thrown  aside  to  be  cleaned  and 
dried  as  opportunity  offered:  The  baleen  of  all  the 
fin  whales  is  short,  stiff,  and  coarse  and  in  Europe 
and  America  has  but  little  value.  In  Japan,  however, 
it  is  made  into  many  useful  and  beautiful  things. 

I  learned  that  the  cutting  operations  at  Sechart 
and  the  other  west  coast  stations  were  conducted  in  the 
Norwegian  way  which  is  followed  in  almost  all  parts 
of  the  world  except  Japan.  In  the  Island  Empire  a 
new  method  has  been  adopted,  which,  while  it  has 
the  advantage  of  being  very  rapid,  is  correspondingly 
dangerous  and  will  not,  I  think,  ever  be  widely  used. 


CHAPTER  II 
HOW  A  HUMPBACK  DIVES  AND  SPOUTS 

ALTHOUGH  it  had  been  possible  to  secure  but 
few  good  pictures  during  my  first  trip  at  sea 
on  the  Orion,  nevertheless  I  had  learned  much 
about  the  ways  of  humpbacks.  One  impression,  which 
I  subsequently  found  to  be  correct,  was  that  this  would 
prove  to  be  the  most  interesting  of  all  large  whales 
to  study — at  least  from  the  standpoint  of  its  habits. 

There  are  no  dull  moments  when  one  is  hunting 
a  humpback,  for  it  is  never  possible  to  foretell  what 
the  animal's  next  move  will  be.  He  may  dash  along 
the  surface  with  his  enormous  mouth  wide  open,  stand 
upon  his  head  and  "lobtail,"  throwing  up  clouds  of 
spray  with  smashing  blows  of  his  flukes,  or  launch  his 
forty-ton  body  into  the  air  as  though  shot  from  a 
submarine  catapult. 

He  may  do  dozens  of  other  highly  original  things, 
all  of  which  show  his  playful,  good-natured  disposi- 
tion and,  if  he  is  allowed  to  continue  his  elephantine 
gambols  unmolested,  he  is  as  harmless  as  a  puppy. 
But  once  imbed  an  iron  in  his  sensitive  flesh  and  it  is 
wise  to  keep  well  beyond  the  range  of  his  long  flippers 
and  powerful  flukes  which  strike  the  water  in  every 
direction  with  deadly,  crushing  blows. 

The  humpback  is  the  whale  which  is  most  usually 

38 


HOW  A  HUMPBACK  DIVES  AND  SPOUTS 

seen  from  the  Atlantic  passenger  vessels,  and  may 
easily  be  recognized  because  when  "sounding,"  or 
going  under  for  a  deep  dive,  the  flukes  are  almost  in- 
variably drawn  out  of  the  water ;  the  finback  and  blue 
whales,  the  two  other  common  species,  seldom  show 
the  flukes. 


- 


A  humpback  whale  "sounding."  "The  humpback  comes  up 
obliquely,  and,  as  soon  as  the  spout  has  been  delivered, 
arches  the  back  and  begins  to  revolve." 

When  a  humpback  dives  the  easy  grace  with  which 
the  animal  manipulates  its  huge,  ungainly  body  and 
great  propeller-like  tail,  drawing  it  out  of  the  water 
smoothly  but  with  irresistible  force,  always  gives  me 
a  thrill  of  admiration.  I  remember  one  day,  while 
crossing  the  Atlantic  on  the  Kronprinz  Wilhclm,  a 
humpback  came  up  not  far  from  the  ship  and  swam 
parallel  with  her  for  several  minutes.  Each  time  the 
big  fellow  drew  himself  up,  slowly  rolled  over,  and 
brought  his  flukes  out,  an  involuntary  cheer  went  up 

39 


HOW  A  HUMPBACK  DIVES  AND  SPOUTS 

from  the  passengers.  But  it  is  only  when  sounding 
that  the  tail  is  shown  and  never  when  the  whale  is 
feeding  or  swimming  near  the  surface. 

The  humpback  comes  up  obliquely  and,  as  soon  as 
the  spout  has  been  delivered,  arches  the  back  and  be- 
gins to  revolve,  finally  drawing  out  the  flukes .  and 
going  down  vertically.  When  hunting,  the  proper 
time  to  shoot  is  when  the  dorsal  fin  begins  to  show 
above  the  water — depending,  of  course,  upon  the  dis- 
tance. The  iron  then  has  a  fair  chance  to  reach  the 
lungs  or  heart  and  a  larger  target  is  presented. 

How  far  a  whale  can  descend  is  a  matter  of  con- 
jecture and  more  or  less  dispute  among  naturalists. 
One  writer  argues  that  whales  cannot  go  deeper  than 
three  hundred  feet  because  of  the  tremendous  water 
pressure.  But  all  cetaceans  have  certain  specializa- 
tions in  body  structure  which  undoubtedly  enable 
them  to  withstand  high  pressure. 

I  have,  as  personal  evidence  upon  this  subject,  the 
fact  that  a  blue  whale,  harpooned  between  the  shoul- 
ders and  but  slightly  injured,  dove  straight  down- 
ward and  took  out  over  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  rope. 
We  were,  at  the  time,  almost  a  hundred  miles  at 
sea  and  so  far  as  could  be  determined  the  animal  had 
gone  down  to  the  full  limit  of  the  line  which  hung 
from  the  bows  as  rigid  as  a  bar  of  steel.  The  whale 
remained  below  for  thirty-two  minutes  and  reap- 
peared not  more  than  a  hundred  yards  away  and  di- 
rectly in  front  of  the  ship. 

It  is  the  opinion  of  every  whaler  with  whom  I  have 
talked  that  all  the  large  cetaceans  can  descend  to  a 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

considerable  depth,  and  each  man  will  give  numer- 
ous instances,  similar  to  the  one  I  have  cited  in  the 
case  of  the  blue  whale,  to  prove  his  point.  Until 
further  information  is  available  this  subject  must  be 
an  open  one.  A  smooth,  circular  patch  of  water  is 
always  left  at  the  spot  where  a  large  whale  dives. 
This  is  undoubtedly  produced  by  suction  and  inter- 
rupted wave  action  but  has  given  rise  to  many  in- 
genious and  absurd  theories  in  explanation. 

When  studying  whales  the  most  important  fact  to 
remember  is  that  they  are  one-time  land  mammals 
which  have  taken  up  a  life  in  the  ivatcr  and  that 
their  bodily  activities,  although  somewhat  modified, 
are  nevertheless  essentially  the  same  as  those  of  a 
horse,  cow,  or  any  other  land  mammal. 

Since  a  whale  breathes  air,  when  it  is  below  the 
surface  the  breath  must  be  held,  for  if  water  should 
be  taken  into  the  lungs  the  animal  would  drown. 
Thus,  as  soon  as  a  cetacean  comes  to  the  surface  its 
breath  is  expelled  and  a  fresh  supply  inhaled  before 
it  again  goes  dowrn,  just  as  in  the  case  of  a  man  when 
diving.  However  a  whale  is  able  to  hold  its  breath 
for  a  much  longer  time  than  can  an  ordinary  land 
mammal — even  as  much  as  forty-five  minutes  or  an 
hour. 

When  the  animal  comes  to  the  surface  the  breath 
which  has  been  contained  in  the  lungs  under  pressure 
is  highly  heated,  and  as  it  is  forcibly  expelled  into 
the  colder  outer  air  it  condenses,  forming  a  column 
of  steam  or  vapor.  A  similar  effect  may  be  pro- 
duced by  any  person  if,  on  a  frosty  morning,  the 

42 


HOW  A  HUMPBACK  DIVES  AND  SPOUTS 

breath  is  suddenly  blown  out  of  the  mouth.  I  have 
often  seen  a  whale  blow  when  its  head  was  still  a 
short  distance  under  the  surface  and  at  such  times 
a  little  water  will  be  thrown  upward  with  the  spout. 
That  whales  spout  out  of  the  blowholes  water  which 


The  tail  of  the  humpback  as  the  animal  ''sounds"  looks  like  a 
great  butterfly  which  has  alighted  upon  the  water. 

has  been  taken  in  through  the  mouth  is  probably  more 
widely  believed  than  any  other  popular  misconcep- 
tion. As  a  matter  of  fact  such  a  performance  would 
be  impossible  because  a  whale's  nostrils  do  not  open 
into  the  back  of  the  mouth  as  do  those  of  a  man,  and 
the  animal  is  not  able  to  breathe  through  its  mouth 
as  do  ordinary  land  mammals. 

Instead,  an  elongation  of  the  arytenoid  cartilages 

43 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

and  the  epiglottis  fits  into  the  soft  palate,  thereby 
forming  a  continuous  passage  between  the  nostrils  and 
the  trachea,  or  windpipe,  and  entirely  shutting  off  the 
nasal  passages  from  the  mouth.  In  this  way  a  whale 
can  swim  with  its  mouth  open,  when  feeding,  with- 
out danger  of  being  strangled  by  getting  water  into 
the  breathing  organs. 

The  blowholes,  or  nostrils,  have  been  pushed  back- 
ward and  upward  to  open  on  the  top  of  the  head  in- 
stead of  at  the  end  of  the  snout.  This  is  an  adapta- 
tion to  aquatic  life,  which  is  also  seen  in  other  water 
mammals,  for  in  this  way  the  nostrils  are  almost 
the  first  part  of  the  body  to  appear  at  the  surface 
and  the  whale  can  begin  to  breathe  immediately  upon 
rising. 

Although  all  the  fin  whales  have  two  nostrils,  the 
spout  ascends  in  a  single  column,  which,  in  the  hump- 
back, is  from  twelve  to  fifteen  feet  high.  The  cloud 
of  vapor  is  narrow  at  the  base  but  spreads  out  at 
once,  forming  a  low  bushy  column  which  rapidly  drifts 
away. 

The  height  and  density  of  the  spout  in  all  whales 
depends  upon  the  animal's  size  and  the  length  of  time 
it  has  been  below.  If  the  whale  has  been  submerged 
but  a  brief  period,  as  during  surface  dives,  a  com- 
paratively small  quantity  of  air  is  expelled  and  the 
breath  has  not  had  time  to  become  highly  heated; 
consequently  the  column  will  be  low  and  thin. 

The  first  spout  after  sounding  is  usually  the  high- 
est and  fullest.  I  have  seen  humpbacks,  which  had 
been  badly  wounded,  lying  at  the  surface  close  to 

44 


HOW  A  HUMPBACK  DIVES  AND  SPOUTS 

the  ship,  blowing  every  few  seconds,  and  the  spout 
could  hardly  be  seen  although  the  opening  and  clos- 
ing of  the  blowholes  and  the  metallic  whistling  of 
the  escaping  breath  were  plainly  distinguishable. 

Immediately  after  the  delivery  of  the  spout  the 
lungs  are  refilled,  the  blowholes  being  opened  widely 
and  protruded  upward,  and  the  breath  rapidly  drawn 
in.  The  elevation  of  the  blowholes  is  probably  to 
prevent  a  wave  from  slopping  over  and  filling  the 
nasal  passages,  but  when  a  whale  lies  dead  upon  the 
slip  there  is  no  indication  that  the  nostrils  can  be 
protruded.  This  was  first  learned  through  a  photo- 
graph of  a  spouting  blue  whale,  taken  by  Dr.  Glover 
M.  Allen  in  Newfoundland  waters,  and  since  then 
I  have  secured  two  others  which  show  it  admirably. 
At  the  time  my  first  picture  was  taken  we  had  an  in- 
teresting experience  which  I  shall  never  forget. 


CHAPTER  III 
AN  EXCITING  EXPERIENCE  IN  ALASKA 

AFTER  leaving  Vancouver  Island  I  had  gone 
north  to  Murderer's  Cove,  Tyee,  Alaska,  and 
was  being  most  hospitably  entertained  on 
board  Captain  Charles  Grahame's  ship,  the  Tyee.  We 
were  hunting  in  the  waters  of  Frederick  Sound  and 
had  been  out  two  days.  A  big  finback  had  given  us 
an  exciting  time  of  it  in  the  afternoon  and  evening 
of  the  second  day  and  I  had  gone  to  bed  tired  out. 

Next  morning  at  five  o'clock  I  was  awakened  by 
a  hand  on  my  shoulder  and  the  voice  of  the  Mate 
saying : 

" We're  in  a  bunch  of  humpbacks,  sir.  You'd  bet- 
ter get  up  if  you  want  some  pictures." 

As  I  had  only  removed  my  coat  and  shoes  the  night 
before,  in  five  minutes  I  was  on  deck  with  my  camera 
and  plate  holders.  It  was  a  gray  day,  heavy  clouds 
lining  the  sky  and  a  strong  wind  blowing  from  the 
westward.  Already  the  little  steamer  was  pitching 
and  rolling  in  a  way  which  made  me  hate  even  the 
thought  of  breakfast,  but  catching  sight  of  the  flukes 
of  a  big  humpback  just  disappearing  below  the  sur- 
face on  the  starboard  side,  I  forgot  for  a  moment  that 
there  was  such  a  thing  as  seasickness.  I  climbed  to 
the  bridge  beside  the  Mate  who  was  at  the  wheel 

46 


AN  EXCITING  EXPERIENCE  IN  ALASKA 

and  after  getting  the  camera  ready  for  instant  use, 
took  out  my  notebook  and  glasses. 

The  whales  were  all  about  us  but  feed  was  evi- 
dently scarce  and  far  below  the  surface,  for  the  ani- 
mals were  swimming  long  distances  under  water,  only 
rising  to  blow  at  irregular  intervals.     For  three  hours 
-    -    .  .  .  ..  .    ___ — , 


"The  flukes  of  a  big  humpback  just  disappearing  below  the 
surface  on  the  starboard  side." 


we  kept  up  a  fruitless  chase  after  first  one  and  then 
another  of  the  humpbacks,  once  or  twice  getting  so 
close  that  a  shot  seemed  imminent.  At  last  the  Cap- 
tain, who  had  come  on  deck,  said : 

"It's  no  use  to  bother  with  these  fellows;  there 
is  no  feed  and  we  may  stay  here  all  day  without  kill- 
ing; we'll  go  over  toward  Fanshaw,  and  see  if  we 
can't  find  another  bunch." 

47 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

Two  hours  of  steaming  brought  us  in  sight  of 
Storm  Island  and  far  over  near  the  shore  we  could 
see  several  spouts.  Now  and  then  flukes  would  show 
as  one  of  the  animals  went  down,  indicating  to  my 
satisfaction  that  some,  at  least,  were  humpbacks. 
When  we  neared  the  whales  I  left  the  bridge,  mak- 
ing my  way  forward  along  the  deck  to  the  harpoon- 
gun,  and  with  camera  ready  braced  myself  against 
a  rope.  The  steamer  was  pitching  furiously  and  it 
was  all  I  could  do  to  keep  my  feet,  but  clinging  to 
a  line  with  one  hand  and  shielding  the  lens  of  my 
camera  with  the  other,  I  awaited  the  reappearance 
of  a  whale  that  had  gone  down  on  the  starboard 
side. 

Suddenly  the  gunner  shouted,  "There  he  comes!" 
and  pointed  over  the  bow  where  the  water  was  be- 
ginning to  smooth  out  in  a  large,  green  patch  about 
thirty  fathoms  away. 

Before  I  could  focus  my  camera,  the  whale  had 
burst  into  view,  sending  his  spout  fifteen  feet  into 
the  air.  Evidently  he  saw  us  for  he  was  down  again 
in  a  second,  only  to  reappear  several  fathoms  astern. 
Time  after  time  he  showed  himself,  never  near  enough 
for  a  shot  but  keeping  me  busy  exposing  plates. 

After  about  an  hour  another  humpback  appeared 
beside  him  and  together  they  seemed  to  be  enjoying 
to  the  fullest  extent  the  game  of  tag  they  were  play- 
ing with  us.  Once  the  larger  of  the  two  threw  him- 
self clear  out  of  the  water,  showing  even  the  tips 
of  his  flukes,  and  fell  back  with  a  splash  which 
sounded  like  the  muffled  clap  of  two  great  hands. 


AN  EXCITING  EXPERIENCE  IN  ALASKA 

Again  he  thrust  his  head  into  the  air  and,  whirling 
about,  I  caught  him  with  the  camera  just  before  he 
sank  back  out  of  sight. 

For  over  an  hour  the  game  of  tag  continued,  but 
once,  when  the  whales  had  been  down  an  unusually 
long  time,  the  Captain  swung  the  vessel's  nose  into 


"The  captain  swung  the  vessel's  nose  into  just  the  right  position 
and  they  appeared  close  beside  the  starboard  bow." 

just  the  right  position  and  they  appeared  close  be- 
side the  starboard  bow.  The  roar  of  the  gun  almost 
deafened  me  and  instinctively  I  pressed  the  button  of 
the  camera,  but  a  wave  had  thrown  the  steamer  into 
the  air  at  just  the  wrong  time  and  the  harpoon  struck 
the  surface  several  feet  below  the  whale.  Both  ani- 

49 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

mals  went  down  churning  the  water  into  foam,  and 
when  next  we  saw  them  they  were  close  together,  far 
astern. 

Although  the  chase  had  been  an  aggravation  to 
the  whalers,  I  had  reaped  a  harvest  of  pictures  and 
had  exposed  every  plate  in  the  holders.  While  So- 
renson,  the  gunner,  was  reloading  the  gun,  I  descended 
into  the  hold,  substituted  fresh  plates,  and  packed  the 
others  in  the  pasteboard  boxes.  My  work  was  has- 
tened by  the  sudden  stopping  and  starting  of  the  en- 
gines which  proclaimed  that  another  whale  had  been 
sighted  and  the  chase  already  begun. 

Pushing  away  the  hatch  which  covered  the  en- 
trance to  the  hold,  I  swung  up  the  steep  ladder  to 
the  deck  above.  Sure  enough  a  big  humpback  was 
spouting  only  a  short  distance  away,  now  and  then 
rolling  on  his  side  and  throwing  his  great  black  and 
white  fin  in  the  air. 

"He's  feeding,"  said  Sorenson,  as  I  stepped  up  be- 
side him;  "but  he's  pretty  wild.  Perhaps  we'll  kill 
this  time." 

Back  and  forth  for  two  hours  we  followed  the  ani- 
mal, sometimes  getting  so  close  that  when  I  saw 
him  burst  to  the  surface  I  held  my  breath,  expect- 
ing to  hear  the  roar  of  the  gun  beside  me;  but  Soren- 
son, somewhat  chagrined  by  his  miss  at  the  last  whale, 
wished  to  be  sure  of  this  shot  and  would  not  take 
a  chance.  The  Captain  swung  the  boat  in  a  long  cir- 
cle each  time  the  animal  disappeared  and  it  seemed 
almost  certain  that  we  would  at  last  be  near  when 
he  came  up.  And  so  it  happened,  for  when  we  had 

50 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

almost  despaired  of  getting  a  shot  the  man  in  the  bar- 
rel shouted,  "He's  coming,  right  below  us." 

Looking  down  into  the  water  I  could  see  the  ghostly 
form  of  the  whale  rising  to  the  surface  with  tremen- 
dous force  just  in  front  of  the  bow.  There  was  no 
time  to  stop  the  ship  and  the  animal  burst  from  the 
water  half  under  the  vessel's  side.  I  started  back, 
shielding  my  camera  from  the  spout,  and,  stumbling 
over  a  pile  of  chains  on  the  deck,  slid  almost  to  the 
forecastle  companionway.  Scrambling  up,  I  jumped  to 
the  rail  and  snapped  the  camera  at  the  huge  body 
partly  hidden  by  the  boat. 

The  whale  seemed  dazed  by  his  sudden  appearance 
under  the  steamer,  and  rolling  on  his  side,  went  down 
only  a  few  feet,  reappearing  ten  fathoms  away.  So- 
renspn,  who  had  held  to  the  gun,  steadied  himself, 
swung  the  muzzle  about,  and  taking  deliberate  aim, 
planted  the  harpoon  squarely  behind  the  fin.  It  was 
a  beautiful  shot,  and  the  whale  went  down  without 
a  struggle.  The  quiet  which  followed  the  deafen- 
ing explosion  was  broken  only  by  the  soft  swish  of 
the  line  running  out  from  the  winch  and  the  men  go- 
ing to  their  places.  I  was  leaning  against  the  side 
almost  weak  from  the  excitement  of  the  last  few 
minutes  when  Sorenson,  a  pleased  grin  on  his  sun- 
burned face,  turned  and  said,  "I  didn't  miss  him  that 
time,  did  I  ?  He  never  moved  after  I  fired." 

Four  hours  more  of  chasing  first  one  and  then 
another  brought  the  vessel  close  to  a  humpback  and 
again  Sorenson  sent  the  harpoon  crashing  into  the 
lungs,  killing  at  the  first  shot.  As  the  day  had  been 

52 


AN  EXCITING  EXPERIENCE  IN  ALASKA 

a  tiring  one  and  it  was  too  dark  to  take  pictures,  I 
picked  up  my  camera  and  climbed  down  the  narrow 
companionway  into  the  Captain's  cabin.  After  re- 
loading the  plate  holders  I  lay  down  on  the  bunk  lis- 
tening to  the  rattling  of  chains  and  the  tramp  of  feet 
on  the  deck  above  as  the  dead  whale,  with  the  other 


Bringing   in  a  humpback   at   the   end   of   the   day's   hunt.     The 
whale's  flukes  weigh  more  than  a  ton. 

which  had  been  picked  up,  was  made  fast  to  the  bow 
of  the  vessel. 

The  boat  had  started  on  the  thirty-mile  tow  to  the 
station  and,  gradually  becoming  accustomed  to  the 
rolling,  I  was  lulled  to  sleep  by  the  steady  "chug,  chug, 
chug"  of  the  engines  and  the  splashing  of  the  water 
against  the  side. 

53 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  "VOICE"  OF  WHALES  AND  SOME 
INTERESTING  HABITS 

FOR  me,  developing  the  photographic  negatives 
after  a  trip  at  sea  is  almost  as  fascinating  as 
taking  them,  and  no  secret  treasure  chest  was 
ever  opened  with  greater  interest  than  is  the  develop- 
ing box.  After  my  first  expedition  a  tank  developer 
was  always  used,  for  I  invariably  became  so  excited 
watching  the  image  appear  upon  the  plate  that  sev- 
eral were  ruined  by  being  held  too  long  before  the 
red  lamp. 

I  shall  never  forget  the  breathless  interest  with 
which  I  developed  the  negative  exposed  when  the 
humpback  whale  came  up  beneath  the  ship  during  the 
trip  described  in  the  previous  chapter.  I  had  had 
no  time  to  focus  the  camera,  and  really  expected  a 
blurred  picture,  but  still  there  was  just  a  chance  that 
it  might  be  good.  The  image  appearing  on  the  plate 
slowly  assumed  form  and  I  saw  that  it  was  a  pic- 
ture of  the  great  body  partly  hidden  beneath  the  ship. 
No  one  but  a  naturalist  can  ever  know  what  it  meant 
to  get  that  photograph  and  how  impatiently  I  waited 
until  it  could  be  taken  from  the  hypo  bath  and  ex- 
amined. 

I  found  that  the  plate  had  been  exposed  just  after 

54 


SOME  INTERESTING  HABITS 

the  spout  had  been  delivered  and  while  the  animal 
was  drawing  in  its  breath.  The  great  nostrils  were 
widely  dilated  and  protruded  far  above  the  level  of 
the  head. 

This  is  an  excellent  illustration  of  what  an  im- 
portant part  the  camera  plays  in  natural  history  study, 
for  often  a  photograph  will  show  with  accuracy  many 
things  which  the  eye  does  not  record.  When  a  whale 
rises  so  close  to  the  ship  that  one  can  almost  touch 
its  huge  body,  the  few  seconds  of  its  appearance  are 
so  full  of  excitement  that  it  is  well-nigh  impossible 
to  study  details — at  least  so  I  have  found. 

During  spouting,  and  while  drawing  in  the  breath, 
the  rush  of  air  through  the  pipe-like  nostrils  produces 
a  loud,  metallic,  whistling  sound  which,  in  the  larger 
whales,  can  be  heard  for  a  distance  of  a  mile  or  more. 
Since  cetaceans  have  no  vocal  organs  it  is  probable 
that  this  is  the  sound  which  is  so  often  mistaken  for 
their  voice  in  the  statements  that  whales  have 
"roared,"  or  "bellowed  like  a  bull." 

To  me  it  always  seems  as  though  a  whale  ought 
to  have  a  voice  of  proportions  equal  to  the  animal's 
bulk.  I  have  never  quite  recovered  from  the  feeling 
I  had  when  I  first  saw  a  big  humpback  rise  a  few 
feet  from  the  ship.  The  animal  appeared  so  enormous 
that  if  it  had  uttered  a  terrifying  roar  it  would  have 
seemed  quite  the  natural  and  proper  thing.  The  re- 
spiratory sounds  differ  with  each  cetacean;  I  have 
often  been  near  humpbacks  and  finbacks  which  were 
feeding  together,  and  could  always  distinguish  the 
latter  species  by  the  sharper  and  more  metallic  quality 

55 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

of  the  spout.  This  is  probably  due  to  the  fact  that 
the  finback,  since  it  is  a  larger  whale,  blows  with 
greater  force  than  does  the  humpback. 

The  white  porpoise  (Dclphinapterus  leucas)  of  the 
North,  makes  a  most  characteristic  respiratory  noise. 
It  is  a  sharp  "putt"  much  resembling  the  exhaust  of 
a  small  gasoline  engine  and  can  be  heard  for  a  con- 
siderable distance.  In  early  June  of  1909,  while 
hunting  white  porpoises  in  the  St.  Lawrence  River, 
a  heavy  fog  dropped  on  us  and  for  several  hours  we 
could  only  wait  for  it  to  lift.  All  about  were  white 
porpoises,  probably  several  hundred,  and  the  sharp 
"putt,  putt"  of  their  spouts  came  from  every  direc- 
tion, sounding  like  a  squadron  of  gasoline  launches. 

The  number  of  times  the  humpbacks  spout  at  each 
appearance  is  exceedingly  variable.  As  a  general 
rule,  if  the  feed  is  far  below  the  surface,  requiring 
a  considerable  period  of  submergence,  the  animals 
will  blow  six  or  seven  times  before  again  descend- 
ing, in  order  to  reoxygenate  thoroughly  the  blood.  If, 
on  the  contrary,  the  feed  is  near  the  surface,  the 
dives  are  short  and  the  number  of  respirations  after 
each  one  is  correspondingly  small.  And  yet  I  have 
seen  individuals  which  were  "traveling,"  or  swimming 
for  a  considerable  distance  under  water,  rise  to  spout 
but  once  or  twice  and  again  descend. 

I  have  often  been  asked  how  long  a  whale  can  stay 
below  the  surface.  It  is  quite  impossible  to  answer 
this  with  a  general  statement  since  some  species  can 
undoubtedly  remain  submerged  much  longer  than 
others.  Twenty  minutes  is  my  greatest  record  for 

56 


SOME  INTERESTING  HABITS 

humpbacks  but  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  animals 
can  stay  under  a  much  longer  time,  if  necessary. 

A  blue  whale  which  we  struck  off  the  Japanese 
coast  sounded  for  thirty-two  minutes.  In  the  north  of 
Japan  there  was  a  whale  of  the  same  species  which 
had  had  its  dorsal  fin  shot  away  by  a  harpoon  and 
had  become  extremely  wrild.  The  animal  could  be 
easily  recognized  by  the  large  white  scar  on  its  back, 
and  for  three  successive  years  was  hunted  by  various 
ships  of  the  whaling  fleet.  He  was  said  to  stay  be- 
low half  an  hour  each  time  and  only  spout  once  or 
twice  between  dives.  One  day,  when  seventy  miles 
at  sea,  the  ship  I  was  on  raised  his  spout,  but  after 
the  whale  went  down  we  lost  him.  We  were  close 
enough  to  see  the  white  harpoon  scar  as  he  sounded 
but  I  did  not  have  a  further  opportunity  to  witness 
his  reported  eccentricities. 

At  Ulsan,  Korea,  Captain  Melsom  killed  a  blue 
whale  which  stayed  below  fifty  minutes,  spouted 
twenty  times,  and  then  went  down  for  forty  minutes. 
The  longest  period  of  submergence  which  I  recorded 
for  a  finback  was  twenty-three  minutes.  There  are 
many  tales  of  the  great  length  of  time  which  the 
small-toothed  whale,  called  the  "bottlenose"  (Hype- 
roodon  rostratum),  will  remain  under  water  but  I  have 
had  no  personal  experience  with  this  species.  It  is 
said  that  when  a  bottlenose  has  been  harpooned  it 
not  infrequently  sounds  to  a  great  depth  and  stays 
below  for  over  an  hour. 

Many  whalemen  believe  that  cetaceans  can  remain 
under  water  for  a  long  time  without  coming  up  to 

57 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

breathe.  This  owes  its  origin  to  the  fact  that  whales 
will  suddenly  appear  when  for  several  hours  previ- 
ously there  has  been  no  sign  of  a  spout  even  at  a  dis- 
tance. Captain  Grahame  first  called  my  attention  to 
this  fact  and  since  then  I  have  personally  witnessed 
it  twice. 

Once,   when   sixty   miles   at   sea   off  the   Japanese 


"Suddenly,  not  more  than  two  hundred  fathoms  in  front  of  the 
ship,  four  humpbacks  spouted  and  began  to  feed."  The  flukes 
of  one  are  shown,  in  the  distance  is  a  second  which  has  just 
spouted,  and  the  smooth  patches  of  water  where  the  other 
two  descended  are  seen  in  the  foreground. 


coast,  trouble  with  the  engines  caused  the  ship  to  lie 
to  for  about  three  hours.  During  most  of  that  time 
I  was  in  the  barrel  at  the  masthead  watching  with 
glasses  a  school  of  porpoises  (Lagenorhynchus  obli- 
quidens),  which  were  playing  about  some  distance 
from  the  ship.  As  far  as  I  could  see  there  was  not 
the  slightest  sign  of  a  whale  nor  had  there  been  for 

58 


SOME  INTERESTING  HABITS 

at  least  two  hours.  Suddenly,  not  more  than  two 
hundred  fathoms  in  front  of  the  ship,  four  hump- 
backs spouted  and  began  to  feed.  They  remained  for 
almost  half  an  hour  in  our  immediate  vicinity,  wal- 
lowing about  at  the  surface,  and  then,  as  at  a  signal, 
arched  their  backs,  drew  out  their  flukes,  and  sounded. 
They  rose  again  about  half  a  mile  away,  spouted  a 
few  times  and  disappeared. 

There  is  not  one  chance  in  ten  that  those  whales 
could  have  blown  within  five  miles  of  the  ship,  when 
they  first  appeared,  without  being  seen.  The  ocean 
was  as  calm  as  a  millpond  and  the  sun  so  brilliant 
that  the  spouts  glittered  like  a  cloud  of  silver  dust 
thrown  into  the  air.  From  the  masthead  I  could 
see  for  miles  and  had,  moreover,  been  watching  the 
water  in  every  direction  as  the  porpoises  circled  and 
played  about  the  ship. 

Practically  the  same  thing  has  been  reported  to  me 
at  various  times  from  other  localities.  Captain  Gra- 
hame  said  that  in  Alaska  at  a  certain  place  in  Fred- 
erick Sound  a  school  of  finbacks  used  to  appear  sud- 
denly every  day  about  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 
The  whalemen  seemed  to  be  of  the  opinion  that  the 
animals  had  been  under  the  water  for  some  hours, 
perhaps  sleeping  on  the  bottom. 

From  what  is  known  of  the  physiology  of  ceta- 
ceans this  is  highly  improbable  if  not  actually  im- 
possible. To  me  the  most  reasonable  explanation 
seems  to  be  the  one  advanced  by  Rocovitza,  viz.,  that 
some  species  of  whales  frequently  swim  long  dis- 
tances at  considerable  speed  without  appearing  to 

59 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

blow.  When  there  is  little  feed  and  the  whales  are 
constantly  moving,  or  traveling,  I  have  seen  them  rise 
a  mile  or  more  from  the  place  where  they  last  dis- 
appeared, spout  a  few  times  and  again  go  down,  re- 
peating this  as  long  as  they  could  be  seen  from  the 
ship.  There  is  no  valid  reason  why  the  animals 
should  not  continue  for  half  an  hour  or  more  without 
appearing  to  blow  and  during  that  time  even  slow 
swimmers,  such  as  humpbacks,  could  cover  three  or 
four  miles. 

One  day  at  Ulsan,  Korea,  Captain  Hurum  found 
two  humpbacks  and  struck  one.  Captain  Melsom  who 
was  but  a  short  distance  away  came  up  at  once  and 
stood  by  to  shoot  the  second  whale.  But  that  in- 
dividual had  absolutely  disappeared  and  although  the 
sea  was  calm  and  both  ships  kept  a  sharp  watch 
was  never  seen  again.  Captain  Melsom  says  it  must 
certainly  have  swum  five  miles  without  rising  to  spout. 

When  and  where  whales  do  sleep  we  have  no  means 
of  knowing.  They  have  been  recorded  as  following 
ships  for  great  distances,  always  keeping  close  by, 
and  I  have  often  heard  them  blow  at  night.  My 
own  theory  is  that  they  sleep  while  floating  at  the 
surface,  either  during  the  day  or  night,  but  I  have 
little  evidence  with  which  to  sustain  it. 

Whales  must  have  some  means  of  communicating 
with  each  other  of  which  we  know  nothing,  for  often 
the  members  of  a  school,  even  when  widely  separ- 
ated, will  leave  the  surface  together  and  reappear  at 
exactly  the  same  instant. 

At  times  two  whales  will  swim  so  closely  together 

60 


SOME  INTERESTING  HABITS 

that  their  bodies  are  almost  touching  and  this  habit 
has  given  rise  to  stories,  vouched  for  by  reputable 
scientific  men,  about  an  unknown  whale  with  two  dor- 
sal fins.  I  could  never  bring  myself  to  believe  these 
tales  and  often  wondered  how  they  originated,  until 
one  day,  while  hunting  off  the  coast  of  Japan  with  Cap- 


Two  humpback  whales  swimming  close  together  at  the  surface. 
These  animals  were  feeding  and  coming  up  to  spout  every 
few  seconds. 

tain  Anderson,  we  saw  a  so-called  "double-finned" 
whale.  A  big  finback  was  spouting  in  the  distance  and 
as  we  were  following  a  sei  whale  which  was  very  wild, 
the  Captain  decided  to  see  if  we  could  get  a  shot  at 
the  new  arrival. 

The  whale  was  swimming  at  the  surface  and  as 
we  neared  the  animal  two  dorsal  fins  were  plainly 
visible.  Anderson  was  as  excited  as  I  because  it 
seemed  that  we  would  certainly  "get  fast"  to  the 
mythical  whale.  \Ye  watched  every  movement  of  the 
animal  as  it  slowly  crossed  our  bows  and  we  could 

61 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

see  the  second  dorsal  fin  about  two  feet  behind  the 
first. 

Suddenly  the  animal  spouted  in  a  way  that  was 
unfamiliar  to  both  of  us,  for  the  vapor  column  was 
very  thick  and  plainly  divided.  We  were  within  forty 
fathoms,  almost  near  enough  for  a  shot,  before  I  re- 
alized that  our  strange  cetacean  was  really  two  whales 
—a  cow  finback  and  her  nearly  grown  calf.  The  lat- 
ter was  on  the  far  side  of  the  mother  and  was  pressed 
closely  to  her  side.  Its  dorsal  fin  appeared  just  be- 
hind that  of  its  parent  and  while  the  whale  was  broad- 
side to  us  we  could  see  no  other  part  of  the  calf's 
body.  Had  we  not  been  following  the  animal  I  should 
forever  have  been  convinced  that  I  had  actually  seen 
a  double-finned  whale. 


CHAPTER  V 
THE  PLAYFUL  HUMPBACK 

THE  first  whale  which  I  ever  saw  "breach,"  cr 
jump  out  of  the  water,  was  a  humpback  in 
Alaska.  We  raised  the  whale's  spout  half  a 
mile  away  and  ran  up  close  before  the  animal  sounded. 
It  seemed  certain  that  he  would  blow  again,  and  with 
engines  stopped  the  ship  rolled  slowly  from  side  to 
side  in  the  swell.  The  silence  was  intense  and  our 
nerves  were  strained  to  the  breaking  point. 

Ten  minutes  dragged  by;  then,  without  a  sound 
of  warning,  the  floor  of  the  ocean  seemed  to  rise 
and  a  mountainous  black  body,  dripping  with  foam, 
heaved  upward  almost  over  our  heads.  It  paused  an 
instant,  then  fell  sideways  to  be  swallowed  up  in  a 
vortex  of  green  water.  With  the  camera  ready  in 
my  hands  I  stared  at  the  thing.  It  might  have  been 
an  eruption  of  a  submarine  volcano  or  a  waterspout; 
I  would  as  soon  have  thought  of  photographing 
either.  Even  the  nerves  of  Sorenson,  the  harpooner, 
were  shaken  and  he  clung  weakly  to  the  gun  without 
a  move  to  use  it. 

The  whale  had  dropped  back  scarcely  twenty  feet 
away;  if  it  had  fallen  in  the  other  direction  the  ves- 
sel would  have  been  crushed  like  an  eggshell  beneath 
its  forty  tons  of  weight.  Never  since  then  have  I 

63 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

known  of  a  whale  breaching  so  close  to  a  ship,  al- 
though they  have  frequently  come  out  within  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty  feet. 

A  few  days  later  we  had  sighted  a  lone  bull  hump- 
back early  in  the  afternoon  and  for  two  hours  had 
been  doing  our  utmost  to  get  a  shot.  The  whale 
seemed  to  know  exactly  how  far  the  gun  was  effec- 
tive and  would  invariably  rise  just  out  of  range.  Once 
he  sounded  forty  fathoms  ahead  and,  as  I  stood  wait- 
ing near  the  gun  platform  with  the  camera  ready, 
suddenly  the  water  parted  directly  in  front  of  us  and 
with  a  rush  which  sent  its  huge  body  five  feet  clear 
of  the  surface  the  whale  shot  into  the  air,  fins  wide 
spread,  and  fell  back  on  its  side  amid  a  cloud  of 
spray. 

I  was  watching  for  the  animal  on  the  starboard 
bow  but  managed  to  swing  about  with  the  camera 
and  press  the  button  just  before  he  disappeared.  Al- 
though the  photograph  was  hardly  successful,  never- 
theless it  is  interesting  as  being  the  only  one  yet  taken 
of  a  breaching  humpback;  it  shows  the  whale  breast 
forward  falling  upon  its  right  side. 

Humpbacks  probably  breach  in  play  and  sometimes 
an  entire  school  will  throw  their  forty-five-foot  bodies 
into  the  air,  each  one  apparently  trying  to  outdo  the 
others.  For  some  reason  the  humpbacks  of  Alaska 
and  the  Pacific  coast  seem  to  breach  much  more  fre- 
quently than  do  those  in  Japan  waters. 

This  species  is  the  most  playful  of  all  the  large 
whales — one  of  the  reasons  why  to  me  they  are  the 
most  interesting.  Breaching  is  probably  their  most 

64 


THE  PLAYFUL  HUMPBACK 

spectacular  performance  but  what  the  whalers  call 
"lobtailing"  is  almost  as  remarkable.  The  animal  as- 
sumes an  inverted  position,  literally  standing  upon  its 
head,  and  with  the  entire  posterior  part  of  the  body 
out  of  the  water  begins  to  wave  the  gigantic  flukes 
back  and  forth.  The  motion  is  slow  and  measured 


A  humpback  whale  "lobtailing."  The  animal  assumes  an  in- 
verted position  and,  with  the  entire  posterior  part  of  the 
body  out  of  the  water,  begins  to  wave  the  gigantic  flukes 
back  and  forth,  lashing  the  water  into  foam. 

at  first,  the  flukes  not  touching  the  water  on  either 
side.  Faster  and  faster  they  move  until  the  water  is 
lashed  into  foam  and  clouds  of  spray  are  sent  high 
into  the  air;  then  the  motion  ceases  and  the  animal 
sinks  out  of  sight.  There  is  considerable  variety 
to  the  performance,  the  whale  sometimes  pounding 
the  water  right  and  left  for  a  few  seconds  and  then 
going  down. 

Many  of  the  gunners  believe  that  lobtailing  is  in- 
dulged in  to  free  the  whale's  flukes  from  the  barnacles 
which  fasten  in  clusters  to  the  tips  and  along  the 

65 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

edges.  I  do  not  believe  that  this  supposition  can 
be  correct  for  the  barnacles  are  embedded  too  firmly 
in  the  blubber  to  be  dislodged  by  such  beating.  That 
the  animals  come  into  shallow  water  and  rub  against 
rocks  to  rid  themselves  of  parasites,  as  whalemen  re- 
port, seems  much  more  probable. 

The  playful  disposition  of  these  whales  is  mani- 
fested in  other  ways.  Very  frequently  when  a  ship 
is  hunting  a  single  humpback  the  animal  will  play 
tag  with  the  vessel.  It  will  come  up  first  on  one  side 
and  then  on  the  other;  "double"  under  water  and 
rise  almost  at  the  stern;  thrust  its  head  into  the  air 
or  plunge  along  the  surface  with  half  the  body  ex- 
posed but  always  just  out  of  range  of  the  harpoon- 
gun.  Sometimes  this  will  last  for  two  or  three  hours 
or  until  the  whale  is  killed ;  at  others  the  animal  will 
seem  to  tire  of  the  game  and  with  a  farewell  flirt 
of  its  tail  dive  and  swim  away. 

Captain  Scammon  says : 

In  the  mating  season  they  are  noted  for  their  amorous 
antics.  At  such  times  their  caresses  are  of  the  most  amus- 
ing and  novel  character,  and  these  performances  have  doubt- 
less given  rise  to  the  fabulous  tales  of  the  swordfish  and 
thrasher  attacking  whales.  When  lying  by  the  side  of  each 
other,  the  Megapteras  frequently  administer  alternate  blows 
with  their  long  fins,  which  love-pats  may,  on  a  still  day,  be 
heard  at  a  distance  of  miles.  They  also  rub  each  other 
with  the  same  huge  and  flexible  arms,  rolling  occasionally 
from  side  to  side,  and  indulging  in  other  gambols  which 
can  easier  be  imagined  than  described.1 

1  "The  Marine  Mammals  of  the  North-western  Coast  of  North 
America."  By  Charles  M.  Scammon,  p.  45. 

66 


THE  PLAYFUL  HUMPBACK 

The  animals  of  which  I  have  thus  far  been  writing 
are  classified  in  the  suborder  Mystacoceti,  or  whale- 
bone whales,  and  are  distinguished  from  the  suborder 
Odontoceti,  or  toothed  whales,  by  the  possession  of 
two  parallel  rows  of  thin,  horny  plates  which  hang 
from  the  roof  of  the  mouth.  These  plates,  com- 
mercially called  whalebone  but  properly  known  as 
baleen,  are  growths  from  the  skin  much  like  the  claws, 
finger  or  toenails  of  land  mammals  and  are  not  com- 
posed of  bone  but  of  a  substance  called  "keratin." 
Each  plate  is  roughly  triangular,  being  wide  at  the 
base  and  narrow  at  the  tip,  and  has  the  inner  edges 
frayed  out  into  long  fibers;  these  hair-like  bristles 
form  a  thick  mat  inside  the  mouth  and  thus  the 
small  shrimps  and  other  minute  food  upon  which 
the  baleen  whales  feed  are  strained  out  and  eaten. 
The  development  of  whalebone  is  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  specializations  shown  by  any  living 
mammal  The  baleen  is,  in  reality,  merely  an 
exaggeration  of  the  cross  ridges  found  in  the 
roof  of  the  mouth  of  a  land  mammal  and  a  some- 
what similar  straining  apparatus  is  present  in  a 
duck's  bill. 

The  great  majority  of  people  believe  that  all  large 
whales  eat  fish  whereas  none,  except  the  sperm  whale, 
does  so  when  other  food  is  to  be  obtained.  All  the 
baleen  whales  eat  small  crustaceans  and  especially  the 
little  red  shrimp  (Euphausia  inermis),  which  is  about 
three-quarters  of  an  inch  long.  These  minute  ani- 
mals float  in  great  masses,  sometimes  near  the  sur- 
face but  often  several  fathoms  below  it,  and  the  move- 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

ments  of  the  whales  are  very  largely  determined  by 
their  position  and  abundance. 

The  feeding  operations  are  most  interesting  to 
watch,  and  if  the  shrimps  happen  to  be  but  a  short 
distance  under  water,  as  often  happens  during  the 


The  tongue  of  a  humpback  whale,  which  has  been  forced  out  of 
the  animal's  mouth  by  air  pumped  into  the  body  to  keep  it 
afloat. 


morning  and  evening  or  just  before  a  storm,  they  can 
be  easily  seen.  The  whale  starts  forward  at  good 
speed,  then  opens  its  mouth  and  takes  in  a  great  quan- 
tity of  water  containing  numbers  of  shrimp,  turns 
on  its  side  and  brings  the  ponderous  lower  jaw  up- 
ward, closing  the  mouth.  The  great  soft  tongue,  fill- 

68 


THE  PLAYFUL  HUMPBACK 

ing  the  space  between  the  rows  of  baleen,  expels  the 
water  in  streams,  leaving  only  the  little  shrimp  which 
have  been  strained  out  by  the  bristles  on  the  inner  side 
of  the  whalebone  plates. 

The  fins  and  one  lobe  of  the  flukes  are  thrust  into 
the  air  as  the  mouth  is  closed,  and  sometimes  the 
animal  rolls  from  side  to  side.  At  this  time  the  whales 
are  careless  of  danger  and  pay  not  the  slightest  at- 
tention to  a  ship.  The  quantity  of  shrimp  eaten  by 
a  single  whale  is  enormous.  I  have  taken  as  much 
as  four  barrels  from  the  stomach  of  a  blue  whale 
which  even  then  was  by  no  means  full.  Probably 
when  shrimp  are  very  scarce  or  are  not  obtainable, 
all  the  fin  whales  eat  small  fish,  but  during  the  last 
eight  years  I  have  personally  examined  the  stomachs 
of  several  hundred  finners  and  found  fish  in  only 
four  or  five  individuals. 

Humpbacks,  like  all  the  large  whales,  show  great 
affection  for  their  young  and  many  touching  stories 
are  told  of  their  devotion.  If  a  female  with  her 
calf  is  seen  the  whalemen  know  that  both  can  be  se- 
cured and  often  shoot  the  calf  first,  if  it  is  of  fair 
size,  for  the  mother  will  not  leave  her  dead  baby. 

This  affection  is  reciprocated  by  the  calf,  as  the  fol- 
lowing incident,  related  by  J.  G.  Millais,  Esq.,  will 
show: 

Captain  Nilsen,  of  the  whaler  St.  Lawrence,  was  hunting 
in  Hermitage  Bay,  Newfoundland,  in  June,  1903,  when  he 
came  up  to  a  huge  cow  humpback  and  her  calf.  After  get- 
ting "fast"  to  the  mother  and  seeing  that  she  was  exhausted, 
Captain  Nilsen  gave  the  order  to  lower  the  "pram"  for  the 

69 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

purpose  of  lancing.  Every  time  the  mate  endeavored  to 
lance  the  calf  intervened,  and  by  holding  its  tail  toward  the 
boat  and  smashing  it  down  whenever  they  approached,  kept 
the  stabber  at  bay  for  half  an  hour.  Finally  the  boat  had 
to  be  recalled  for  fear  of  an  accident,  and  a  fresh  bomb 
harpoon  was  fired  into  the  mother,  causing  instant  death. 
The  faithful  calf  now  came  and  lay  alongside  the  body  of 
its  dead  mother,  where  it  was  badly  lanced  but  not  killed. 
Owing  to  its  position  it  was  found  impossible  to  kill  it,  so 
another  bomb  harpoon  was  fired  into  it.  Even  this  did  not 
complete  the  tragedy  and  it  required  another  lance  stroke 
to  finish  the  gallant  little  whale.1 

Captain  H.  G.  Melsom  tells  me  that  in  Iceland  a 
female  humpback  was  killed,  and  her  calf  would  not 
leave  the  ship  which  was  towing  its  dead  mother  but 
followed  the  vessel  until  it  was  close  to  the  station. 

Humpbacks  have  a  bad  reputation  among  the  Nor- 
wegians and  it  is  seldom  that  a  boat  is  sent  out  to 
lance  a  whale  of  this  species.  The  gunners  say  that 
there  is  too  much  danger  in  the  flukes  and  long  flip- 
pers and  that  sad  experience  has  given  them  a  whole- 
some respect.  Usually,  if  the  animal  is  too  "sick" 
to  require  a  second  harpoon  it  will  be  drawn  close 
up  beside  the  ship  and  lanced  from  the  bow. 

From  personal  experience  I  have  only  negative  evi- 
dence to  offer  as  to  the  fighting  qualities  of  this  whale 
for,  although  I  have  seen  a  great  many  killed,  never 
did  one  give  much  trouble.  They  certainly  cannot 
drag  a  vessel  as  a  blue  whale  or  finback  will,  and  ap- 
parently do  not  like  to  pull  very  hard  against  the 

"The  Mammals  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland."  By  J.  G. 
Millais.  Longmans,  Green,  &  Co.,  p.  238. 

70 


THE  PLAYFUL  HUMPBACK 

iron.  I  have  seen  humpbacks,  which  were  being 
drawn  in  for  the  second  shot,  squirm  and  give  way 
each  time  the  rope  was  pulled  taut.  I  do  not  pretend 
to  deny,  however,  the  widespread  and  probably  well- 
founded  belief  in  the  danger  of  coming  to  close  quar- 


Pulling  the  barnacles  off  a  humpback  whale.  This  species  is  in- 
fested with  parasites,  which  fasten  in  clusters  to  the  throat, 
head,  fins  and  flukes. 


ters  with  this  whale  and  will  again  quote  Millais  in 
regard  to  this : 


Humpbacks  sometimes  give  trouble  when  struck  too  high 
in  the  body  or  only  slightly  wounded,  and  several  serious 
accidents  have  occurred  both  to  steamers  and  to  the  men  in 
the  small  "prams"  when  trying  to  lance  the  wounded  whale. 

71 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

The  following  authentic  instances  have  been  given  to  me 
by  Norwegian  captains: 

In  May,  1903,  the  whaling  steamer  Minerva,  under  Cap- 
tain John  Petersen,  hunting  from  the  station  in  Isafjord, 
made  up  to  and  struck  a  bull  Humpback.  The  beast  was 
wild,  so  they  fired  two  harpoons  into  it,  both  of  which  were 
well  placed.  In  the  dim  light  the  captain  and  two  men 
went  off  in  the  "pram"  to  lance  the  wounded  Whale,  when 
the  latter  suddenly  smashed  its  tail  downwards,  breaking 
the  boat  to  pieces,  killing  the  captain  and  one  man,  and 
breaking  the  leg  of  the  other.  The  last-named  was,  how- 
ever, rescued,  clinging  to  some  spars. 

A  most  curious  accident  happened  on  the  coast  of  Fin- 
mark  about  ten  years  ago.  A  steamer  had  just  got  fast 
to  a  Humpback,  which,  in  one  of  its  mad  rushes,  broke 
through  the  side  of  the  vessel  at  the  coal  bunkers,  thus 
allowing  a  great  inrush  of  water  which  put  out  the  fires 
and  sank  the  ship  in  three  minutes.  The  crew  had  just 
time  to  float  the  boats,  and  was  rescued  by  another  whaler 
some  hours  later. 

Owing  to  its  sudden  rushes  and  free  use  of  tail  and  pec- 
torals the  Humpback  is  more  feared  by  the  Norwegian 
whalemen  than  any  other  species,  although  fewer  casual- 
ties occur  than  in  the  chase  of  the  Bottlenose.  It  is  not 
to  be  wondered  at  when  you  ask  a  Scandinavian  about  the 
dangerous  incidents  of  his  calling  he  will  invariably  answer, 
"I  not  like  to  stab  de  Humpback  ;  no,  no,  no  !"  The  Hump- 
back generally  sinks  when  killed,  and  is  a  difficult  Whale 
to  raise.1 

Reliable  data  upon  the  breeding  habits  of  all  large 
whales  are  obviously  difficult  to  secure  and,  except 
in  the  case  of  the  California  gray  whale,  it  is  im- 


Mammals   of    Great   Britain   and    Ireland."      By   J.    G. 
Millais.     Longmans,  Green,  &  Co.,  pp.  241-242. 

72 


THE  PLAYFUL  HUMPBACK 

possible  to  state  with  certainty  many  facts  upon  this 
subject.  Probably  the  period  of  gestation  in  the 
humpback  is  about  one  year  and  the  calves  are  from 
fourteen  to  sixteen  feet  long  when  born.  On  June 
1 6,  1908,  at  Sechart,  a  young  humpback  was  killed 


A  humpback  partly  in  the  water  at  the  station  in  North  Japan. 
The  whale  is  lying  on  its  side  with  the  breast  and  flipper 
showing. 

with  its  mother.  The  calf  had  nothing  but  milk  in 
its  stomach  and  milk  was  flowing  from  both  teats  of 
the  parent.  I  estimated  that  this  baby  humpback  was 
about  three  months  old  and  since  birth  had  probably 
almost  doubled  its  length. 

Although  all  the  fin  whales  probably  mate  chiefly 
in  the  early  spring,  nevertheless  pairing  is  deferred 

73 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

until  later  in  the  year  among  some  individuals,  as 
foetal  specimens  show.  Pregnant  females  always  have 
very  thick,  fat  blubber  and  yield  a  large  amount  of 
oil.  Except  in  very  rare  cases  all  the  large  whales 
have  but  one  young  at  a  birth  and  although  several 
instances  of  humpback  twins  have  been  recorded  it 
is  certainly  very  unusual. 

How  long  the  calf  lives  upon  milk  is  problematical, 
but  it  can  hardly  be  more  than  six  months.  The  rate 
of  growth  of  large  whales  is  so  exceedingly  rapid 
that  the  calf  would  undoubtedly  be  able  to  care  for 
itself  very  soon  after  birth. 

The  two  teats  of  all  cetaceans  are  concealed  in  slits 
on  either  side  of  the  genital  opening.  In  a  hump- 
back whale  each  teat  is  the  thickness  of  a  man's 
thumb  and  two  inches  long.  In  the  female  hump- 
back taken  at  Sechart  with  the  nursing  calf,  the  milk 
glands  under  the  blubber  had  become  greatly  en- 
larged and  were  like  an  elongated  oval  in  shape;  they 
were  4  feet  6  inches  long,  42  inches  wide  at  the  lower, 
and  9  inches  at  the  upper,  end. 

By  suddenly  pressing  the  surrounding  muscles  the 
milk  could  be  ejected  2  or  3  feet  in  a  fair  sized  stream 
and  it  is  in  this  way  that  the  calf  probably  receives 
it.  The  young  whale's  mouth  is  so  constructed  that 
it  is  impossible  for  the  animal  to  suck,  in  the  ordi- 
nary sense  of  the  word,  and  the  teat  is  much  too 
short,  even  when  protruded  two  or  three  inches,  to 
be  held  between  the  thick,  rounded  lips.  When  the 
milk  is  ejected  into  the  calf's  mouth  apparently  con- 
siderable sea  water  must  go  with  it  unless  the  mother 

74 


THE  PLAYFUL  HUMPBACK 

lifts  that  portion  of  her  body  out  of  the  water  while 
the  baby  is  nursing,  which  is  probably  the  case. 

The  milk  itself  looks  exactly  like  cow's  cream. 
I  once  drew  out  about  a  gallon  from  a  humpback  and 
tasted  it.  It  was  very  disagreeable,  but  I  imagine  that 
little  of  the  original  flavor  was  left,  for  the  whale 
had  been  killed  about  fourteen  hours  before  and  the 
milk  had  not  only  soured  but  was  also  permeated  with 
the  gases  of  decomposition.  I  am  quite  sure  that 
if  fresh  the  milk  would  not  be  at  all  bad,  and  stories 
are  told  (which,  however,  I  have  never  substantiated 
and  greatly  doubt)  that  when  at  sea  the  Norwegians 
sometimes  use  on  the  table  milk  from  a  freshly  killed 
whale. 

A  remarkable  account  of  whale  milking  was  pub- 
lished in  a  New  York  newspaper  and  had  such  a 
wide  circulation  that  the  facts  may  be  of  interest.  It 
seems  that  a  reporter  was  sent  to  interview  Dr.  F.  A. 
Lucas,  who  had  recently  been  at  Newfoundland  to 
secure  a  blue  whale's  skeleton  for  the  United  States 
National  Museum,  and  during  the  conversation  Dr. 
Lucas  jokingly  remarked  that  it  would  be  a  fine  idea 
to  entice  two  or  three  whales  into  a  narrow  bay,  bar 
the  entrance  with  posts,  and  anchor  a  carcass  inside. 
This  would  attract  great  numbers  of  small  crusta- 
ceans and  give  food  for  the  captive  whales.  The 
animals  might  then  be  trained  to  come  to  a  wharf 
morning  and  evening  and  submit  to  being  milked. 
Thus  the  problem  of  "the  high  cost  of  milk"  for  an  en- 
tire village  might  easily  be  solved. 

The  reporter  was  certain  that  this  would  fill  his 

75 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

editor's  idea  of  a  whale  story,  but  when  writing  it 
neglected  to  state  that  his  data  were  purely  imaginary. 


The   result  of  a   single  day's  hunt.     Five  humpback  whales  at 
Sechart,  Vancouver  Island. 

The  story  was  copied  in  papers  throughout  America 
and  for  months  afterward  I  was  deluged  with  let- 
ters asking  who  the  successful  whale  trainer  might  be. 


CHAPTER  VI 
JAPANESE  SHORE  STATIONS 

IN  the  summer  of  1909,  after  a  short  expedition  to 
the  St.  Lawrence  River  to  hunt  white  porpoises, 
I  joined  the  U.  S.  S.  Albatross  in  the  Philip- 
pines as  a  special  naturalist  for  a  cruise  among  the 
islands  of  the  Dutch  East  Indies. 

It  was  an  exceedingly  interesting  trip,  but  even 
though  sailing  over  ground  where  thousands  of  sperm 
whales  had  been  killed  in  years  gone  by,  not  a  spout 
was  seen.  We  raised  our  first  whales  at  the  south- 
ern end  of  Formosa  late  in  January,  while  steaming 
northward  to  Japan.  They  were  two  humpbacks, 
lazily  rolling  about  in  a  deep  bay  where  we  had  an- 
chored to  escape  a  typhoon  which  was  roaring  along 
the  coast  outside,  and  showed  us  that  we  were  on 
the  edge  of  the  Japan  whaling  banks,  famous  among 
all  deep-water  sailors. 

In  February  the  Albatross  reached  the  beautiful 
harbor  of  Nagasaki  and  while  wandering  about  the 
streets  of  the  picturesque  little  city  I  saw  great  quan- 
tities of  whale  meat  on  sale  in  the  markets.  Ped- 
dlers were  also  doing  an  excellent  business  in  selling 
meat  and  blubber  from  house  to  house,  and  alto- 
gether Japanese  whaling  appeared  to  be  in  a  flourish- 
ing condition. 

77 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

Since  absolutely  nothing  was  known,  scientifically 
or  otherwise,  about  the  large  whales  of  this  coast,  I 
determined  to  leave  the  Albatross  and  investigate  the 
fishery  as  well  as  to  secure  specimens  for  the  Museum, 
if  possible. 


"In  some  instances  the  whales  are  drawn  out  upon  the  slip  in 
the  Norwegian  way." 

In  Shimonoseki,  where  one  of  the  offices  of  the 
whaling  company  is  located,  I  found  the  president  of 
the  Toyo  Hogei  Kabushiki  Kaisha  (Oriental  Whaling 
Company,  Ltd.)  most  cordial  in  his  attitude  toward 
my  proposed  work.  He  offered  to  assist  me  in  every 
possible  way,  and  a  few  days  later  I  boarded  a  little 
Japanese  freight  steamer  which  all  day  and  night 

78 


JAPANESE  SHORE  STATIONS 

plowed  her  way  through  the  beautiful  islet-dotted 
waters  of  the  Inland  Sea  to  Oshima,  famous  in  Jap- 
anese history. 

At  Oshima  I  made  my  home  with  Mr.  Ikeda,  the 
manager,  and  his  wife,  in  a  delightful  little  house 
Duilt  into  the  side  of  a  hill  which  overlooked  the  beauti- 
ful bay  with  the  village  of  Kishimoto  on  the  opposite 
shore.  I  have  lived  with  many  people  in  many  lands 
ivhile  wandering  about  the  world,  but  never  have  I  had 
i  host  or  hostess  who  did  more  to  further  my  work 
md  personal  comfort  than  these  two  delightful  Jap- 
mese. 

The  whales  are  handled  in  such  an  unusual  way  in 
fapan  that  there  was  much  to  learn  about  the  indus- 
try itself.  The  stations  are  usually  situated  not  far 
From  the  feeding  grounds  of  the  animals,  in  or  near 
:>ne  of  the  little  fishing  villages  which  dot  the  coast 
In  every  bay  or  harbor.  Eight  or  ten  large  wooden 
Duildings  compose  the  factory,  and  there  is  always  a 
long  wharf  projecting  into  deep  water,  at  the  end 
}f  which  stand  upright  a  pair  of  long  heavy  poles 
nclined  forward  and  joined  at  their  extremities  by 
i  massive  crosspiece;  from  this  are  suspended  the 
clocks  through  which  run  wire  cables  from  the  steam 
winch. 

In  some  instances  the  whales  are  drawn  out  upon 
:he  slip  in  the  Norwegian  way,  but  the  more  usual 
Japanese  method  is  a  modification  of  that  used  by 
:he  deep-sea  whalers;  the  animals  are  cut  in  while 
ying  in  the  water,  the  poles  at  the  end  of  the  wharf 
Deing  substituted  for  the  masts  of  a  ship. 

79 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

Late  in  the  morning  on  the  day  after  I  arrived  at 
Oshima  the  long-drawn  wail  of  a  siren  whistle 
sounded  far  down  the  bay,  and  in  a  few  moments  a 
little  whaling  vessel  swept  proudly  around  a  pic- 
turesque rocky  headland  and  steamed  swiftly  toward 
the  station.  She  was  listing  far  to  starboard  and 


• 


Y 


"She  was  listing  far  to  starboard  and  we  could  see  the  huge 
flukes  of  a  blue  whale  .  .  .  waving  at  her  bow." 

we  could  see  the  huge  flukes  of  a  blue  whale,  the 
shiro-nagasu  kujira  of  the  Japanese,  waving  at  her 
bow,  the  carcass  stretching  alongside  almost  to  the 
stern. 

She  slipped  quietly  up  to  the  end  of  the  wharf  and 
two  cutters  sculled  a  sampan  out  to  meet  her.     There 

80 


JAPANESE  SHORE  STATIONS 

were  a  few  hoarse  shouts,  a  sharp  command,  the  rat- 
tle of  a  heavy  chain,  and  a  great  splash  as  the  whale 
was  dropped  into  the  water. 

On  shore  the  station  bell  was  clanging  and  men 
were  assembling  on  the  wharf;  strong  well-built  fel- 
lows they  were,  many  of  them  half  naked  and  busy 


"A  steel  wire  cable  was  looped  about  the  tail  just  in  front  of 
the  flukes,  and  the  huge  carcass  drawn  slowly  upward  over 
the  end  of  the  wharf." 

sharpening  the  blades  of  murderous-looking  knives. 
With  them  mingled  dozens  of  women  and  girls  clad 
in  tight  blue  trousers  and  kimonas,  each  one  armed 
with  a  stout  iron  hook  or  with  carrying  racks  slung 
over  their  shoulders. 

In  a  few  moments  the  rattling  steam  winch  had 

81 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

brought  the  whale  close  in  shore,  a  steel  wire  cable 
was  looped  about  the  tail  just  in  front  of  the  flukes, 
and  the  huge  carcass  drawn  slowly  upward  over  the 
end  of  the  wharf. 

As  it  rose  the  eager  cutters  attacked  it  savagely 
with  their  long-bladed  knives,  slicing  off  enormous 
blocks  of  flesh  and  blubber  which  were  seized  by  "hook 
men"  almost  before  they  fell,  passed  to  the  women, 
and  drawn  to  the  back  of  the  platform. 

Meanwhile  two  other  cutters  in  a  sampan  were 
at  work  dividing  the  carcass  just  in  front  of  the  dor- 
sal fin.  The  entire  posterior  part  of  the  whale  was 
then  drawn  upward  and  lowered  on  the  wharf  to  be 
stripped  of  blubber  and  flesh.  Transverse  incisions 
were  made  in  the  portion  of  the  body  remaining  in 
the  water,  a  hook  was  fastened  to  a  "blanket  piece," 
and  as  the  blubber  was  torn  off  by  the  winch  the 
carcass  rolled  over  and  over.  The  head,  disjointed 
at  the  neck,  was  hoisted  bodily  upon  the  pier.  Sec- 
tion by  section  the  carcass  was  cut  apart  and  drawn 
upward  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  men  on  the  wharf 
and  be  sliced  into  great  blocks  two  or  three  feet 
square. 

The  scene  was  one  of  "orderly  confusion" — men, 
women  and  girls,  laughing  and  chattering,  running 
here  and  there,  sometimes  stopping  for  a  few  words 
of  banter  but  each  with  his  or  her  own  work  to  do. 
Above  the  babel  of  sounds,  the  strange,  half  wild, 
meaningless  chant,  "Ya-ra-cu-ra-sa,"  rose  and  died 
away,  swelling  again  in  a  fierce  chorus  as  the  sweating, 
half -naked  men  pulled  and  strained  at  a  great  jaw- 

82 


"Section  by  section  the  carcass  was  cut  apart  and  drawn  upward 
to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  men  on  the  wharf  and  be  sliced 
into  great  blocks  two  or  three  feet  square." 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

bone  or  swung  the  hundred-pound  chunks  of  flesh 
into  the  waiting  hand  cars  which  carried  them  to  the 
washing  vats.  Sometimes  a  kimona-clad,  bare-footed 
girl  slipped  on  the  oily  boards  or  treacherous,  slid- 
ing, blubber  cakes  and  sprawled  into  a  great  pool  of 
blood,  rising  amid  roars  of  laughter  to  shake  herself, 
wipe  the  red  blotches  from  her  little  snub  nose  and 
go  on  as  merrily  as  before. 

It  was  essentially  a  good-natured  crowd,  working 
hard  and  ceaselessly  but  apparently  deriving  as  much 
fun  from  their  labor  as  though  it  were  a  holiday. 
The  spirit  of  the  place  was  infectious,  and  as  I 
splashed  about  in  the  blood  and  grease,  I  talked  and 
joked  with  the  cutters  in  bad  Japanese,  causing 
screams  of  laughter  when  I  seriously  informed  them 
that  "the  sun  was  very  hot  water"  by  the  quite  natu- 
ral mistake  of  substituting  the  word  cotsui-yu  for 
atsui  (hot). 

Almost  every  night  we  would  be  awakened  by  the 
siren  whistle  bringing  the  news  of  more  whales.  If 
I  did  not  at  once  stir,  the  little  amah  (maid),  always 
devoted  to  my  interests,  would  quietly  slide  back  the 
paper  screen  to  the  sleeping  room  and  say,  ''Andrews- 
San,  go  Hogei  wa  kujira  ga  torri  mashita"  (Hogei 
No.  5  has  caught  whales).  When  I  had  rolled  out 
of  the  comfortable  futons  and  begun  to  dress,  I  would 
hear  little  Scio-san  pattering  about  in  the  other  room, 
gathering  my  pencils,  notebook,  and  tape  measure. 
Looking  like  a  beautiful  night-moth  in  her  bright-col- 
ored kimona,  with  the  huge  bow  of  her  obi  (sash)  al- 
ways neatly  arranged,  she  would  be  there  to  help  me 


JAPANESE  SHORE  STATIONS 

into  the  greasy  oilskins  and  rubber  boots,  and  would 
clump  along  in  front  to  the  wharf,  lighting  the  way 
with  a  chochin  (paper  lantern)  that  I  might  not  bump 


"Transverse  incisions  were  made  in  the  portion  of  the  body  re- 
maining in  the  water,  a  hook  was  fastened  to  a  'blanket 
piece'  and  as  the  blubber  was  torn  off  by  the  winch  the 
carcass  rolled  over  and  over." 

my  head  on  the  eaves  and  rafters  of  the  low  station 
shed. 

Every  day  Scio-san  religiously  went  to  her  ugly  lit- 
tle stone  joss  in  the  playhouse  temple  on  the  hillside 
and  prayed  that  the  "American-san"  might  catch 
many  \vhales  and  porpoises  for  the  hakubutsu-kwan 
(museum)  in  the  wonderful  fair)-  city  across  the  Pa- 

85 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

cific,  of  which  he  had  so  often  told  her.  And  when 
the  season  was  ended  and  she  had  ventured  to  ask 
the  American-san  himself  to  thank  the  joss,  and  to 
please  her  he  had  done  so,  her  joy  could  hardly  be 
contained  and  the  tip  of  her  little  nose  was  almost 
red  from  constant  rubbing  on  the  tatami  (floor  mat- 
ting) in  her  bows  of  thanks  and  farewell. 

Even  though  it  was  the  very  middle  of  the  night 
when  a  ship's  whistle  sounded,  long  before  the  whale 
had  been  dropped  at  the  wharf  paper  lanterns,  flash- 
ing like  fireflies,  would  begin  to  shine  and  disappear 
among  the  thatched-roofed  cottages  and  the  crowd  of 
villagers  gathering  at  the  end  of  the  wharf.  Half- 
naked  men,  child-faced  geishas,  and  little  youngsters 
carrying  sleeping  babies  as  large  as  themselves 
strapped  to  their  backs,  formed  a  curious,  picturesque, 
ever  changing  group. 

Fires  of  coal  and  fat  in  iron  racks  along  the  wharf 
threw  a  brilliant,  yellow  light  far  out  over  the  bay 
filled  with  whale  ships,  heavy,  square-sterned  fishing- 
boats  and  sampans,  and  gave  weird  fantastic  shapes 
to  the  cutters  as  it  glistened  on  their  dripping  knife 
blades  and  danced  over  the  pools  of  blood.  But  the 
work  always  went  on  as  quickly  as  in  the  daytime, 
no  matter  what  the  hour  or  weather,  for  the  meat  and 
blubber  must  be  hurried  on  board  fast  transports  and 
sent  to  the  nearest  city  to  be  sold  in  the  markets  and 
peddled  from  house  to  house. 

Few  people  realize  the  great  part  which  whale  meat 
plays  in  the  life  of  the  ordinary  Japanese.  Too  poor 
to  buy  beef,  their  diet  would  include  little  but  rice, 

86 


JAPANESE  SHORE  STATIONS 

fish,  and  vegetables,  were  it  not  for  the  great  supply 
of  flesh  and  blubber  furnished  by  the  huge  water 
mammals.  In  winter,  if  there  is  little  fish  to  be  had, 
the  meat  of  the  humpback  whale,  which  isjnost  highly 


The  inner  side  of  a  strip  of  blubber  as  it  is  being  torn  from  a 

whale. 


esteemed,  sometimes  brings  as  much  as  thirty  sen 
(fifteen  cents)  per  pound;  but  this  is  very  unusual  and 
ordinarily  it  can  be  bought  for  fifteen  sen  or  less. 
But  the  edible  portions  are  not  only  the  flesh  and 
blubber.  The  heart,  liver,  tongue,  intestines,  and 

87 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

other  parts  of  the  viscera  are  prepared  for  human  con- 
sumption, and  what  little  remains  is  first  tried  out 
to  extract  the  oil,  then  chipped  by  means  of  hand 
knives,  and  dried  in  the  sun  for  fertilizer. 

Whale  meat  is  coarse  grained  and  tastes  something 


"What  .  .  .  remains  is  first  tried  out  to  extract  the  oil,  then 
chipped  by  means  of  hand  knives,  and  dried  in  the  sun  for 
fertilizer." 

like  venison  but  has  a  flavor  peculiarly  its  own.  I 
have  eaten  it  for  many  days  in  succession  and  found 
it  not  only  palatable  but  healthful.  In  fact  a  chemi- 
cal analysis  shows  it  to  contain  about  98  per  cent, 
of  digestible  material,  whereas  ordinary  beef  has  sel- 
dom more  than  93  per  cent.  The  Japanese  prepare 
it  in  a  variety  of  ways  but  perhaps  it  is  most  fre- 
quently chopped  finely,  mixed  with  vegetables,  and 

88 


JAPANESE  SHORE  STATIONS 

eaten  raw,  dressed  with  a  brown  sauce  called  shoyu. 
In  the  summer  when  it  is  impossible  to  ship  the 
meat  long  distances  because  of  the  heat,  much  of  it 
is  canned.  The  flesh  is  cooked,  in  great  kettles  and 
the  cans  made,  packed,  and  labeled  at  the  stations; 
the  meat  is  then  shipped  to  all  parts  of  the  Empire. 


Whale  meat  on  the  washing  platforms  ready  to  be  sent  to  market. 

It  is  most  unfortunate  that  prejudice  prevents  whale 
meat  from  being  eaten  in  Europe  and  America.  It 
could  not,  of  course,  be  sent  fresh  to  the  large  cities, 
but  canned  in  the  Japanese  fashion  it  is  vastly  su- 
perior to  much  of  the  beef  and  other  tinned  foods 
now  on  sale  in  our  markets.  In  New  Zealand,  the 
Messrs.  Cook  Brothers,  who  have  developed  the 

89 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

method  of  capturing  humpback  whales  in  wire  nets 
(described  in  the  Introduction),  can  a  great  deal  of 
meat  and  ship  it  to  the  South  Sea  Islands,  where 
it  is  sold  to  the  natives. 

The  baleen  of  the  fin  whales,  which  is  of  little  value 
in  Europe  and  America,  has  been  put  to  many  uses  by 
the  Japanese.  When  I  visited  the  exhibition  rooms 
of  the  Toyo  Hogei  Kabushiki  Kaisha  in  Tokyo,  I 
was  astonished  and  delighted  at  the  cigar  and  ciga- 
rette cases,  charcoal  baskets,  -sandals,  and  other  beau- 
tiful things  created  by  their  clever  brains  and  skillful 
fingers  from  the  material  which  in  the  hands  of  West- 
ern nations  seems  to  be  almost  useless. 


CHAPTER  VII 
A  JAPANESE  WHALE  HUNT 

AFTER  spending  a  delightful  month  at  Oshima, 
where  three  fine  whale  skeletons  were  secured, 
I  returned  to   Shimonoseki  to   send  them  to 
New  York,  and  then  traveled  northward  to  Aikawa, 
three  hundred  miles  from  Tokyo.     Aikawa  is  a  typi- 
cal little  fishing  village,  situated  at  the  end  of  a  beauti- 
ful bay  which  sometimes  harbors  as  many  as  fourteen 
whale  ships  from  the  four  neighboring  stations. 

In  the  early  spring  finbacks  and  an  occasional  blue 
whale  are  taken  there,  but  in  June  and  July  sei  and 
sperm  whales  arrive  in  great  numbers.  The  sei  whale 
(the  iu'ashi  kiijira,  or  sardine  whale  of  the  Japanese) 
is  an  exceedingly  interesting  species  which,  to  the  sci- 
entific world,  had  been  unknown  in  the  Pacific  Ocean 
until  my  visit,  although  it  had  formed  the  basis  of 
the  Japanese  summer  fishery  for  twelve  or  fifteen 
years.  My  first  hunt  for  sei  whales  resulted  in  a 
very  exciting  experience  and  one  which  in  modern 
whaling  is  comparatively  rare. 

A  series  of  violent  storms  which  kept  the  ships  in- 
side had  been  raging  along  the  coast,  but  at  last  the 
clouds  began  to  break  one  evening  and  gather  into 
great  fleecy  mountains  of  white,  now  and  then  drift- 
ing away  enough  to  show  the  moon  behind.  The  bad 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

weather  had  apparently  ended  and  at  ten  o'clock  I 
went  aboard  the  Ho  gel  Maru  No.  5  as  the  guest  of 
Captain  Y.  E.  Andersen. 

A  streak  of  brilliant  sunshine  playing  across  my 
face  from  the  skylight  awakened  me  at  five  o'clock  in 


The  whaling  station  at  Aikawa,  North  Japan.  "Aikawa  is  a 
typical  little  fishing  village,  situated  at  the  end  of  a  beautiful 
bay  which  sometimes  harbors  as  many  as  fourteen  whale 
ships  from  the  four  neighboring  stations." 

the  morning.  The  ship  was  rolling  along  in  a  mod- 
erate swell,  but  the  patch  of  sky  which  shone  through 
the  open  square  above  my  head  was  as  blue  as  the 
waters  of  a  tropic  sea.  Captain  Andersen  was  still 
asleep,  and  I  had  just  decided  to  dress  and  go  on 
deck  when  the  cabin  boy  ran  hurriedly  down  the  com- 
panionway  and  called  "Kujira"  (whale).  In  five  min- 
utes we  were  both  on  deck,  and  upon  reaching  the 

92 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

bridge  I  said  to  the  man  at  the  wheel,  "Kore  wa  nani 
desu  ka?"  (What  kind  is  it?) 

He  replied  in  Japanese:  "I  don't  know  yet;  sperm, 
I  think." 

I  was  tremendously  excited  at  this    for  1   wished 


The  spout  of  a  sei  whale.     The  column  of  vapor  shoots  straight 
upward  and  is  lower  and  less  dense  than  that  of  the  finback. 


above  all  things  to  get  at  close  quarters  with  a  school 
of  sperm  whales,  which,  off  this  coast,  often  numbers 
several  hundred  individuals.  I  strained  my  eyes 
through  a  powerful  field  glass,  sweeping  the  sea  ahead 
to  catch  sight  of  a  spout  which  would  tell  the  story. 
Suddenly  it  came,  about  a  mile  ahead,  and  we  both 
exclaimed,  "Iwashi  kujira!"  (Sardine  whale!)  for  the 
column  of  vapor  shooting  straight  upward  and  drift- 

94 


A  JAPANESE  WHALE  HUNT 

ing  slowly  off  on  the  wind   was  strikingly  different 
from  the  puff-like  blow  of  the  sperm. 

We  were  running  at  full  speed  toward  the  ani- 
mal, \vhich  was  spouting  every  ten  or  fifteen  sec- 
onds. Andersen  was  forward  superintending  the 


' 


"He  .  .  .  would    sometimes    swim   just   under   the   surface   with 
only  the  tip  of  the  dorsal  fin  exposed." 

loading  of  the  gun  and  inspecting  the  harpoon  rope 
which  lay  coiled  on  the  heavy  iron  pan  at  the  bow. 

"He's  a  good  whale,"  the  Gunner  called  out  to  me. 
and  by  that  he  meant  that  we  would  soon  get  a  shot 
because  the  animal  was  spouting  so  frequently.  He 
was  never  down  longer  than  five  minutes,  and  would 
sometimes  swim  just  under  the  surface  with  only  the 
tip  of  the  dorsal  fin  exposed.  At  other  times  his 
course  could  be  followed  by  patches  of  smooth,  green 

95 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

water  which  spread  out  in  a  broad  trail  behind  him. 

The  gun  had  hardly  been  loaded  before  we  were 
close  to  the  whale,  with  the  engines  at  dead  slow, 
waiting  for  him  to  come  up.  I  had  taken  out  one 
of  the  lenses  of  my  camera  but  decided  that  the  light 
was  not  yet  strong  enough  for  the  use  of  the  single 
combination  since  the  shutter  would  have  to  be  oper- 
ated at  a  high  speed.  Sitting  down  upon  a  tool  box 
near  the  rail,  I  began  hurriedly  to  replace  the  back 
lens  and  was  just  screwing  it  into  position  when 
"who-o-o"  came  the  spout,  not  five  fathoms  from  the 
stern  of  the  ship. 

We  all  jumped  as  though  a  bomb  had  been  ex- 
ploded beside  us  and  I  nearly  dropped  the  camera  in 
my  excitement.  Somehow  I  managed  to  get  the  lens 
readjusted  without  accident,  and  stood  ready  with  my 
arm  around  a  rope  just  behind  the  gun  platform.  Be- 
fore the  ship  swung  about  the  whale  had  spouted  two 
or  three  times  and  gone  down.  We  hardly  breathed 
while  waiting  and  my  nerves  were  so  on  edge  that 
I  almost  released  the  shutter  of  the  camera  when  the 
silence  was  broken  by  the  voice  of  the  Bo's'n  from 
the  "top"  singing  out,  "He's  coming,  he's  coming!" 

"I  can't  see  him!"  shouted  the  Gunner. 

"There,  there,  on  the  port  bow !"  came  the  answer 
from  aloft. 

With  a  rush  the  great  animal  burst  to  the  surface, 
and  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  spout  in  the  mirror  of 
my  camera  as  it  shot  up  in  a  white  cloud,  glittering 
in  the  sunlight. 

"Will  he  shoot?"  I  thought.  "No,  no,  it  is  too 
96 


A  JAPANESE  WHALE  HUNT 

far,"  and  I  pressed  the  button  of  the  camera  as  the 
broad  back  came  into  view. 

Almost  with  the  sound  of  the  shutter,  and  before 
I  had  lifted  my  eyes  from  the  focusing  hood,  I  was 
deafened  by  the  roar  of  the  gun  and  enveloped  in  a 
great  cloud  of  white  smoke.  It  was  impossible  to 
see,  but  the  line  could  be  heard  singing  over  the  roller 


"I  pressed  the  button  of  the  camera  as  the  broad  back  came  into 

view." 

at  the  bow  and,  as  the  smoke  blew  away,  I  caught 
sight  of  the  high  back-fin  of  the  whale  cutting  the 
water  like  a  knife. 

"Bur-r-r,  whip!''  went  the  heavy  rope  and  in  a  few 
seconds  a  hundred  fathoms  had  gone  out.  Never  had 
I  seen  a  whale  run  as  that  one  did.  The  Engineer 
at  the  winch  was  just  visible  through  the  haze  of 
smoke  which  streamed  from  the  brake,  and  the  smell 
of  powder  and  burning  wood  hung  thick  in  the  air. 

97 


A  JAPANESE  WHALE  HUNT 

Suddenly  with  a  swish,  up  from  the  hold,  fast  to 
the  rope,  came  a  wad  of  brown  fishing  net  that  had 
become  entangled  in  the  coil  below.  I  jumped  to  one 
side  just  in  time  to  miss  it  as  it  swept  by  and  to  see 
it  pass  safely  over  the  roller  at  the  bow.  It  was  a 


"The  winch  was  then  started  and  the  whale  drawn  slowly  toward 
the  ship." 

narrow  escape,  for  if  it  had  jammed,  the  line  would 
surely  have  snapped  and  the  whale  been  lost. 

The  burst  of  speed  was  soon  ended  and  the  whale 
sounded  for  ten  minutes,  giving  us  all  a  chance  to 
breathe  and  wonder  what  had  happened.  When  the 
animal  came  up  again,  far  ahead,  the  spout  was  high 
and  full,  with  no  trace  of  blood,  so  we  knew  that 

99 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

he  would  need  a  second  harpoon  to  finish  him.  I 
was  delighted,  for  I  had  long  wished  for  a  chance 
to  get  a  roll  of  motion-picture  film  showing  the  killing 
of  a  whale,  and  now  the  conditions  were  ideal — good 
light,  little  wind,  and  no  sea. 

I  ran  below  to  get  the  cinematograph  and  tripod 
and  set  it  on  the  bridge  while  the  gun  was  being  loaded. 
The  winch  was  then  started  and  the  whale  drawn 
slowly  toward  the  ship.  He  persisted  in  keeping  in 
the  sunlight,  which  drew  a  path  of  glittering,  dancing 
points  of  light,  beautiful  to  see  but  fatal  to  pictures. 
I  shouted  to  Captain  Andersen,  asking  him  to  wait  a 
bit  and  let  the  whale  go  down,  hoping  it  would  rise 
in  the  other  direction.  He  did  so  and  the  animal 
swung  around,  coming  up  just  as  I  wished,  so  that 
the  sun  was  almost  behind  us.  It  was  now  near 
enough  to  begin  work  and  I  kept  the  crank  of  the  ma- 
chine steadily  revolving  whenever  it  rose  to  spout. 
The  whale  was  drawn  in  close  under  the  bow  and 
for  several  minutes  lay  straining  and  heaving,  trying 
to  free  himself  from  the  biting  iron. 

"Stand  by!  I'm  going  to  shoot  now,"  sang  out  the 
Gunner,  and  in  a  moment  he  was  hidden  from  sight 
in  a  thick  black  cloud. 

The  beautiful  gray  body  was  lying  quietly  at  the 
surface  when  the  smoke  drifted  away,  but  in  a  few 
seconds  the  whale  righted  himself  with  a  convulsive 
heave.  The  poor  animal  was  not  yet  dead,  though  the 
harpoon  had  gone  entirely  through  him.  Captain  An- 
dersen called  for  one  of  the  long  slender  lances  which 
were  triced  up  to  the  ship's  rigging,  and  after  a  few 

100 


A  JAPANESE-WHAI^E:-HUJ)I'i:::  .. 

more  turns  of  the  winch  had  brought  the  whale  right 
under  the  bows,  he  began  jabbing  the  steel  into  its 
side,  throwing  his  whole  weight  on  the  lance.  The 
whale  was  pretty  "sick"  and  did  not  last  long,  and 
before  the  roll  of  motion-picture  film  had  been  ex- 


A  sei  whale  at  Aikawa,  Japan.     This  species  is  about  forty-eight 
feet  long  and  is  allied  to  the  finback  and  blue  whales. 

hausted  it  sank  straight  down,  the  last  feeble  blow 
leaving  a  train  of  round  white  bubbles  on  the  sur- 
face. 

Andersen  and  I  went  below  for  breakfast  and  by 
the  time  we  were  on  deck  again  the  whale  had  been 
inflated  and  was  floating  easily  beside  the  ship.  When 
we  had  reached  the  bridge  the  Gunner  said : 

"I  don't  want  to  go  in  yet  with  this  one ;  we'll  cruise 
101 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

about  until  twelve  o'clock  and  see  if  we  can't  find  an- 
other. I  am  going  up  in  the  top  and  then  we'll  be 
sure  not  to  miss  any." 

I  stretched  out  upon  a  seat  on  the  port  side  of  the 
bridge  and  lazily  watched  the  water  boil  and   foam 


'  'There's  a  whale  dead  ahead.     He  spouted  six  times.'  " 

over  the  dead  whale  as  we  steamed  along  at  full  speed. 
Captain  Andersen  was  singing  softly  to  himself,  ap- 
parently perfectly  happy  in  his  lofty  seat.  So  we  went 
about  for  two  hours  and  I  was  almost  asleep  when  An- 
dersen called  down : 

"There's  a  whale  dead  ahead.  He  spouted  six 
times." 

I  was  wide  awake  at  that  and  had  the  camera  open 
1 02 


17.    O. 
.S    W 


g-s 

il 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

and  ready  for  pictures  by  the  time  we  were  near 
enough  to  see  the  animal — a  sei  whale — blow.  He 
was  spouting  constantly  and  this  argued  well,  for 
we  were  sure  to  get  a  shot  if  he  continued  to  stay 
at  the  surface.  The  Bo's'n  made  a  flag  ready  so  that 
the  carcass  alongside  could  be  let  go  and  marked. 
Apparently  this  was  not  going  to  be  necessary,  for 
there  was  plenty  of  food  and  the  whale  was  lazily 
wallowing  about,  rolling  first  on  one  side  and  then  on 
the  other,  sometimes  throwing  his  fin  in  the  air  and 
playfully  slapping  the  water,  sending  it  upward  in 
geyser-like  jets. 

"Half  speed!"  shouted  the  Gunner;  then,  "Slow!'' 
and  "Dead  slow !" 

The  little  vessel  slipped  silently  along,  the  pro- 
pellers hardly  moving  and  the  nerves  of  every  man 
on  board  as  tense  as  the  strings  of  a  violin.  In  four 
seconds  the  whale  was  up,  not  ten  fathoms  away  on 
the  port  bow,  the  click  of  the  camera  and  the  crash 
of  the  gun  sounding  at  almost  the  same  instant.  The 
harpoon  struck  the  animal  in  the  side,  just  back  of 
the  fin,  and  he  went  down  without  a  struggle,  for  the 
bursting  bomb  had  torn  its  way  into  the  great  heart. 

By  eleven  o'clock  it  was  alongside  and  slowly  fill- 
ing with  air  while  the  ship  was  churning  her  way 
toward  the  station.  Andersen  went  below  for  a  couple 
of  hours'  sleep  in  the  afternoon,  and  I  dozed  on  the 
bridge  in  the  sunshine.  We  were  just  off  Kinka-San 
at  half -past  six,  and  by  seven  were  blowing  the  whistle 
at  the  entrance  to  the  bay. 

Three  other  ships,  the  San  Hogci,  Ne  Taihci,  and 
104 


A  JAPANESE  WHALE  HUNT 

Akebono,  were  already  inside  but  had  no  whales. 
Later  Captain  Olsen,  of  the  Rekkiisu  Mam,  brought 
in  a  sei  whale,  but  this  \vas  the  only  other  ship  that 
had  killed  during  the  day.  About  eleven  o'clock,  just 


"We   were   just   off   Kinka-san   at   half -past   six,   and    by    seven 
were  blowing  the  whistle  at  the  entrance  to  the  bay." 

as  I  came  from  the  station  house  after  developing  the 
plates,  and  started  to  go  out  to  the  ship,  the  Fuku- 
s/iima  and  Airondo  Maru  stole  quietly  into  the  bay 
and  dropped  anchor.  They,  too,  had  been  unsuccess- 
ful, and,  we  learned  later,  had  not  even  seen  a  whale. 

Before  we  turned  in  for  the  night  Captain  Ander- 
sen said  to  me : 

"We'll  go  sou' -sou'  west  tomorrow ;  that's  a  whale 
cruise.  But  I'm  afraid  there  is  going  to  be  a  big  sea 

105 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

on,  for  the  wind  has  shifted  and  we  always  get  heavy 
weather  when  it's  blowing  offshore." 

The  news  was  not  very  encouraging,  for  although 
I  have  spent  many  days  on  whaling  ships  I  have  never 
learned  to  appreciate  perfectly  the  charm  of  the  deep 
when  the  little  cork-like  vessels  are  tossing  and  throw- 
ing themselves  about  as  though  possessed  of  an  evil 
spirit.  Each  time,  I  make  a  solemn  vow  that  if  ever 
I  am  fortunate  enough  once  more  to  get  on  solid 
ground  my  days  of  whaling  will  be  ended. 


CHAPTER  VIII 


CHARGED  BY  A  WILD  SEI  WHALE 

THE  ship  got  under  way  at  two  o'clock  the  next 
morning,  and  within  half  an  hour  was  pitching 
badly  in  a  heavy  sea.     At  five  Andersen  and  I 
turned  out  and  climbed  to  the  bridge,  both  wearing 
oilskins  and  sou'westers  to  protect  ourselves  from  the 
driving  spray.     The  sun  was  up  in  a  clear  sky,  but 
the  wind  was  awful.     The  man  in  the  top  shouted 
down  that  he  had  seen  no  whales,  but  that  many  birds 


We  hunted  them  for  two  hours,  trying  first  one  and  then  the 
other — they  had  separated — without  once  getting  near  enough 
even  for  pictures." 

107 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

were  about,  showing  that  food  must  be  plentiful  and 
near  the  surface.  Captain  Andersen  turned  to  me 
with  a  smile : 

"Don't  you  worry!  We'll  see  one  before  long. 
I'm  always  lucky  before  breakfast." 

Almost  while  he  was  speaking  the  man  aloft  sang 
out,  "Kujira!"  The  kiijira  proved  to  be  two  sei 


"He  was  running  fast  but  seldom  stayed  down  long,  his  high 
sickle-shaped  dorsal  fin  cutting  the  surface  first  in  one  direc- 
tion, then  in  another." 

whales  a  long  way  off.  When  we  were  close  enough 
to  see,  it  became  evident  that  it  would  only  be  a  chance 
if  we  got  a  shot.  They  were  not  spouting  well  and 
remained  below  a  long  time. 

We  hunted  them  for  two  hours,  trying  first  one  and 
then  the  other — they  had  separated — without  once 
getting  near  enough  even  for  pictures.  It  was  aggra- 
vating work,  and  I  was  glad  to  hear  Andersen  say : 

io8 


CHARGED  BY  A  WILD  SEI  WHALE 

"We'll  leave  them  and  see  if  we  can  find  some 
others.  They  are  impossible." 

When  we  came  up  from  breakfast  six  other  ships 
were  visible,  some  of  them  not  far  away  and  others 
marked  only  by  long  trails  on  the  horizon.  We  passed 
the  San  Hogci  near  enough  to  hear  Captain  Hansen 
shout  that  he  had  seen  no  whales,  and  then  plowed 


''Always  the  center  of  a  screaming  flock  of  birds  which  some- 
times swept  downward  in  a  cloud,  dipping  into  the  waves 
and  rising  again,  the  water  flashing  in  myriads  of  crystal 
drops  from  their  brown  wings." 

along  due  south  directly  away  from  the  other  ships. 
In  a  short  time,  one  by  one,  they  had  dropped  away 
from  sight  and  even  the  smoke  paths  were  lost  where 
sky  and  sea  met. 

It  was  eleven  o'clock  before  we  raised  another  spout, 
but  this  animal  wras  blowing  frequently  and  the  great 
cloud  of  birds  hovering  about  showed  that  he  was 
"on  feed."  He  was  running  fast  but  seldom  stayed 
down  long,  his  high,  sickle-shaped  dorsal  fin  cutting 

109 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

the  surface  first  in  one  direction,  then  in  another, 
but  always  the  center  of  a  screaming  flock  of  birds 
which  sometimes  swept  downward  in  a  cloud,  dipping 
into  the  waves  and  rising  again,  the  water  flashing 
in  myriads  of  crystal  drops  from  their  brown  wings. 

As  we  came  close  we  saw  that  the  whale  was  in 
a  school  of  sardines,  the  fish  frantically  dashing  here 
and  there,  often  jumping  clear  out  of  the  water  and 
causing  their  huge  pursuer  a  deal  of  trouble  to  follow 
their  quick  turnings.  But  he  managed  his  lithe  body 
with  wonderful  rapidity,  and  ever  before  the  fish 
left  him  many  yards  behind  was  plowing  after  them, 
his  great  tail  sending  the  water  in  swirling  green 
patches  astern. 

\Ye  were  going  at  full  speed  and  came  down  to  half 
when  a  hundred  fathoms  away,  but  we  could  not  take 
it  slow,  for  the  whale  was  running  directly  from  us. 
I  got  two  pictures  of  the  birds  and  from  where  I  was 
standing  beside  the  gun  could  plainly  follow  the  ani- 
mal in  his  course.  As  he  rose  about  sixty  fathoms 
ahead  and  turned  to  go  down,  his  back  came  into 
view  and  just  behind  the  fin  a  large  white  mark  was 
visible. 

"That's  a  harpoon  scar,"  said  Andersen.  "It  is  a 
bad  sign.  He  may  give  us  a  run  for  it,  after  all." 

The  engines  were  at  dead  slow  now,  for  the  whale 
had  surely  seen  us  and  might  double  under  water, 
coming  up  astern.  Andersen  was  ready  at  the  gun, 
swinging  the  huge  weapon  slightly  to  and  fro,  his  feet 
braced,  every  few  seconds  calling  out  to  the  BoYn 
aloft,  "Miye  masu  ka?"  (Do  you  see  him?) 

no 


CHARGED  BY  A  WILD  SEI  WHALE 

We  had  been  waiting  two  minutes  (it  seemed  hours) 

when  the  Bo's' n  shouted : 

"He's  coming.     He's  coming.     On  the  port  bow.'* 
In  a  second  the  water  began  to  swirl  and  boil  and 

we  could  see  the   shadowy   form   rise  almost  to  the 


A  sei  whale  showing  a  portion  of  the  soft  fatty  tongue. 

surface,  check  its  upward  rush,  and  dash  along  paral- 
lel with  the  ship. 

"Dame  (no  good),  dame,  he  won't  come  up!"  ex- 
claimed Andersen.  "Mo  sukoshi  (a  little  more) 
speed,  mo  sukoshi  speed!  Dame,  dame,  he's  leaving 
us.  Half  speed,  half  speed!'' 

Never  shall  I  forget  the  intense  excitement  of  those 
few  minutes!  The  huge,  ghost-like  figure  was  swim- 

iii 


CHARGED  BY  A  WILD  SEI  WHALE 

ming  along  just  under  the  surface,  not  five  feet  down, 
aggravatingly  close  but  as  well  protected  by  the  shal- 
low water-armor  as  though  it  had  been  of  steel.  An- 
dersen was  shouting  beside  me : 

"He  won't  come,  dame,  dame.  Yes,  now,  now! 
Look  out!  I  shoot,  I  shoot!" 

In  the  mirror  of  my  camera  I  could  see  the  enor- 
mous gray  head  burst  from  the  water,  the  blowholes 
open  and  send  forth  a  cloud  of  vapor,  and  the  slim 
back  draw  itself  upward,  the  water  streaming  from 
the  high  fin  as  it  cut  the  surface.  Andersen's  last 
words  were  drowned  in  the  crashing  roar  of  the  gun. 
Before  we  could  see  through  the  veil  of  smoke  we 
heard  the  sailors  shout,  "Shinda!"  (dead),  and  the 
next  instant  the  black  cloud  drifted  away  showing 
the  whale  lying  on  its  side  motionless.  I  tried  to 
change  the  plate  in  my  camera,  but  before  the  slide 
could  be  drawn  and  the  shutter  reset,  the  animal  had 
sunk.  Apparently  it  had  been  killed  almost  instantly, 
for  the  rope  was  taut  and  hung  straight  down. 

In  a  few  minutes  Andersen  gave  the  word  to  haul 
away,  and  the  Engineer  started  the  winch.  No  sooner 
had  the  rattling  wheels  ground  in  a  few  fathoms  than 
we  saw  the  line  slack  and  then  slowly  rise.  Faster 
and  faster  it  came,  the  water  dripping  in  little  streams 
from  its  vibrating  surface. 

In  a  few  seconds  the  whale  rose  about  ninety 
fathoms  ahead  and  blew,  the  blood  welling  in  great 
red  clots  from  his  spout  holes.  He  lay  motionless 
for  a  moment  and  then  swung  about  and  swam  directly 
toward  the  vessel.  At  first  he  came  slowly,  but  his 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

& 

speed  was  increasing  every  moment.  When  almost 
opposite  us,  about  thirty  fathoms  away,  suddenly, 
with  a  terrific  slash  of  his  tail,  he  half  turned  on  his 
side  and  dashed  directly  at  the  ship. 

"Full  speed  astern!"  yelled  the  gunner,  dancing 
about  like  a  madman.  ''He'll  sink  us;  he'll  sink  us!" 

The  whale  was  coming  at  tremendous  speed,  half 
buried  in  white  foam,  lashing  right  and  left  with  his 
enormous  flukes.  In  an  instant  he  hit  us.  We  had 
half  swung  about  and  he  struck  a  glancing  blow  di- 
rectly amidships,  keeling  the  little  vessel  far  over  and 
making  her  tremble  as  though  she  had  gone  on  the 
rocks;  then  bumped  along  the  side,  running  his  nose 
squarely  into  the  propeller.  The  whirling  blades  tore 
great  strips  of  blubber  from  his  snout  and  jaws  and 
he  backed  off  astern. 

Then  turning  about  with  his  entire  head  project- 
ing from  the  water  like  the  bow  of  a  submarine,  he 
swam  parallel  with  the  ship.  As  he  rushed  along  I 
caught  a  glimpse  of  the  dark  head  in  the  mirror  of 
my  camera  and  pressed  the  button.  An  instant  later 
the  great  animal  rolled  on  his  side,  thrust  his  fin 
straight  upward,  and  sank.  It  had  been  his  death 
struggle  and  this  time  he  was  down  for  good.  As 
the  water  closed  over  the  dead  whale  I  leaned  against 
the  rail  trembling  with  excitement,  the  perspiration 
streaming  from  my  face  and  body.  Andersen  was 
shouting  orders  in  English,  Norwegian,  and  Japanese, 
and  cursing  in  all  three  languages  at  once. 

I  think  none  of  us  realized  until  then  just  what 
a  narrow  escape  we  had  had.  If  the  whale  had  struck 

114 


CHARGED  BY  A  WILD  SEI  WHALE 

squarely  he  would  have  torn  such  a  hole  in  the  steam- 
er's side  that  her  sinking  would  have  been  a  matter 
of  seconds.  The  only  thing  that  saved  her  was  the 
quickness  of  the  man  at  the  wheel,  who  had  thrown 
the  vessel's  nose  about,  thus  letting  the  blow  glance 


"Then  turning  about  with  his  entire  head  projecting  from  the 
water  like  the  bow  of  a  submarine,  he  swam  parallel  with  the 
ship." 

from  her  side.  It  was  a  miracle  that  the  propeller 
blades  had  not  been  broken  or  bent  so  badly  as  to 
disable  us;  why  they  were  not  even  injured  no  one 
can  tell— it  was  simply  the  luck  that  has  always  fol- 
lowed this  vessel  since  Captain  Andersen  came  aboard. 
It  should  not  be  inferred  that  the  whale  deliber- 
ately attacked  the  ship  with  the  intention  of  disabling 
her.  There  is  little  doubt  in  my  mind  but  that  the 
animal  was  blindly  rushing  forward  in  his  death 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

flurry,  and  the  fact  that  he  struck  the  vessel  was 
pure  accident.  Nevertheless,  the  results  would  have 
been  none  the  less  serious  if  he  had  hit  her  squarely. 
After  a  hasty  examination  showed  that  the  propeller 
was  uninjured,  the  whale  was  hauled  to  the  surface. 


"I  was  .  .  .  gazing  down  into  the  blue  water  and  waiting  to 
catch  a  glimpse  of  the  body  as  it  rose,  when  suddenly  a  dark 
shape  glided  swiftly  under  the  ship's  bow." 

I  was  standing  on  the  gun  platform  gazing  down  into 
the  blue  water  and  waiting  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the 
body  as  it  rose,  when  suddenly  a  dark  shape  glided 
swiftly  under  the  ship's  bow.  At  first  I  thought  it 
was  only  imagination,  an  aftereffect  of  the  excite- 
ment, but  another  followed,  then  another,  and  soon 
from  every  side  specter-like  forms  were  darting 

116 


CHARGED  BY  A  WILD  SEI  WHALE 

swiftly  and  silently  here  and  there,  sometimes  show- 
ing a  flash  of  white  as  one  turned  on  its  side. 

They  were  giant  sharks  drawn  hy  the  floating  car- 
cass as  steel  is  drawn  by  a  magnet.  Like  the  vul- 
tures which  wheel  and  circle  in  the  western  sky  far 
beyond  the  reach  of  human  sight,  watching  for  the 
death  of  some  poor,  thirst-smitten,  desert  brute,  so 
these  vultures  of  the  sea  quickly  gathered  about  the 
dead  whale.  I  watched  them  silently  fasten  to  the 
animal's  side,  tearing  away  great  cup-shaped  chunks 
of  blubber,  and  shivered  as  I  thought  of  what  would 
happen  to  a  man  if  he  fell  overboard  among  these 
horrible,  white-eyed  sea-ghosts. 

Within  three  minutes  of  the  time  when  the  whale 
had  been  drawn  to  the  surface  over  twenty  sharks, 
each  one  accompanied  by  its  little  striped  pilot  fish 
swimming  just  behind  its  fins,  were  biting  at  the 
carcass. 

"Dame,  dame,  they'll  eat  my  whale  up,"  shouted 
Andersen  in  Japanese.  "Bo's'n,  bring  the  small  har- 
poon." 

One  big  shark,  the  most  persistent  of  the  school, 
had  sunk  his  teeth  in  the  whale's  side  and,  although 
half  out  of  water,  was  tearing  away  at  the  blubber 
and  paying  not  the  slightest  attention  to  the  pieces  of 
old  iron  which  the  sailors  were  showering  upon  him. 
When  the  harpoon  was  rigged  and  the  line  made  fast, 
Andersen  climbed  out  upon  the  rope-pan  in  front  of 
the  gun  and  jammed  the  iron  into  the  shark's  back. 
Even  then  the  brute  waited  to  snatch  one  more  mouth- 
ful before  it  slid  off  the  carcass  into  the  water.  It 

117 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

struggled  but  little  and  seemed  more  interested  in  re- 
turning to  its  meal  than  in  freeing  itself  from  the 
harpoon,  but  two  boat  hooks  were  jabbed  into  its 
gills  and  it  was  hauled  along  the  ship's  side  until  it 
could  be  pulled  on  deck.  This  was  no  easy  task,  for 


"Two  boat  hooks  were  jabbed  into  the  shark's  gills  and  it  was 
hauled  along  the  ship's  side  until  it  could  be  pulled  on  deck." 


it  must  have  weighed  at  least  two  hundred-  pounds 
and  began  a  tremendous  lashing  with  its  tail  when  the 
crew  hauled  away.  "Ya-ra-cu-rorsa,"  sang  the  sailors, 
each  time  giving  a  heave  as  the  word  "sa"  was  ut- 
tered, and  the  shark  was  soon  flapping  and  pounding 
about  on  deck.  The  seamen  prodded  it  with  boat 
hooks  and  belaying  pins  and  I  must  confess  that  I 

118 


CHARGED  BY  A  WILD  SEI  WHALE 

had  little  sympathy  for  the  brute  when  the  blood 
poured  out  of  its  mouth  and  gills,  turning  the  snow- 
white  breast  to  crimson.  I  paced  its  length  as  it 
lay  on  the  deck,  taking  good  care  to  miss  the  thrash- 
ing tail  and  the  vicious  snaps  of  its  crescent-shaped 


Making  the  sei  whale  fast  to  the  bow  of  the  ship. 

jaws.  It  measured  just  twelve  feet  and,  although  a 
big  one,  was  by  no  means  the  largest  of  the  school. 
\Yhen  the  whale  had  been  finally  made  fast  and 
the  ship  started,  the  shark,  now  half  dead,  was  pushed 
over  the  side.  It  had  not  gone  ten  feet  astern  be- 
fore the  others  of  the  pack  were  tearing  away  at 
their  unfortunate  brother  with  as  great  good  will  as 
they  had  attacked  our  whale. 

119 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

Andersen  and  I  went  below  to  an  excellent  tiffin, 
for  which  I  had  a  better  appetite  than  at  breakfast, 
as  the  sea  had  subsided.  The  course  was  set  for  the 
station  to  get  coal  and  water  for  the  next  day's  run, 
but  we  could  not  be  in  before  seven  or  eight  o'clock. 


A  sei  whale  swimming  directly  away  from  the  ship.     The  nos- 
trils or  blowholes  are  widely  expanded  and  greatly  protruded. 

The  gunner  lay  down  in  the  cabin  for  a  short  nap,  and 
after  lighting  my  pipe  I  went  "top  sides"  to  the  bridge. 
I  had  been  there  not  more  than  ten  minutes,  when 
"puf-f-f"  went  a  sei  whale  about  two  hundred  fathoms 
away  on  the  starboard  beam. 

The  air  pumps  were  still  at  work  inflating  the  car- 
cass alongside,  and  the  gun  had  not  yet  been  loaded. 
Captain  Andersen  ran  forward  with  the  powder 
charge  sewed  up  in  its  neat  little  sack  of  cheesecloth; 

120 


CHARGED  BY  A  WILD  SEI  WHALE 

and  after  the  BoVn  had  rammed  it  home,  wadded  the 
gun,  and  inserted  the  harpoon,  we  were  ready  for 
work.  The  vessel  had  been  taking  a  long  circle  about 
the  whale,  which  was  blowing  every  few  seconds,  and 
now  we  headed  straight  for  it. 

Like  the  last  one,  this  animal  was  pursuing  a  school 
of  sardines  and  proved  easy  to  approach.  Andersen 
fired  at  about  fifteen  fathoms,  getting  fast  but  not 
killing  at  once,  and  a  second  harpoon  was  sent  crash- 
ing into  the  beautiful  gray  body  which  before  many 
hours  would  fill  several  hundred  cans  and  be  sold  in 
the  markets  at  Osaka.  The  sharks  again  gathered 
about  the  ship  when  the  whale  was  raised  to  the  sur- 
face, but  this  time  none  was  harpooned  as  we  were 
anxious  to  start  for  the  station. 

.  It  was  nearly  three  o'clock  when  the  ship  was  on 
her  course  and  fully  six  before  we  caught  a  glimpse 
of  the  summit  of  Kinka-San,  still  twenty  miles  away. 
A  light  fog  had  begun  to  gather,  and  in  the  west 
filmy  clouds  draped  themselves  in  a  mantle  of  red  and 
gold  about  the  sun.  Ere  the  first  stars  appeared,  the 
wind  freshened  again  and  the  clouds  had  gathered 
into  puffy  balls  edged  with  black,  which  scudded  across 
the  sky  and  settled  into  a  leaden  mass  on  the  horizon. 
It  was  evident  that  the  good  weather  had  ended  and 
that  we  were  going  to  run  inside  just  in  time  to  escape 
a  storm. 


CHAPTER  IX 
HABITS  OF  THE  SEI  WHALE 

FOR  many  years  the  sei  whale  was  supposed  to 
be  the  young  of  either  the  blue  or  the  finback 
whale,  andtit  was  not  until   1828  that  it  was 
recognized  by  science  as  being  a  distinct  species.    The 
Norwegians  gave  the  animal  its  name  because  it  ar- 
rives upon  the  coast  of  Finmark  with  the  "seje"  or 


'For  many  years  the  sei  whale  was  supposed  to  be  the  young  of 
either  the  blue  or  the  finback  whale,  and  it  was  not  until  1828 
that  it  was  recognized  by  science  as  being  a  distinct  species." 


122 


HABITS  OF  THE  SEI  WHALE 

black  codfish   (Polachius  znrens),  but  in  Japan  it  is 
called  iwashi  knjira  (sardine  whale). 

Until  shore  stations  were  erected  in  various  parts 
of  the  world  sei  whales  were  supposed  to  be  very 
rare  and  were  known  only  from  the  North  Atlantic 


A  sei  whale  fast  to  the  ship.     The  shape  of  the  spout  is  well 

shown. 


Ocean,  but  within  the  last  fifteen  years  they  have 
been  taken  near  South  Africa,  the  Falkland  and  South 
Shetland  Islands,  and  Japan,  and  have  proved  to  be 
one  of  the  most  abundant  of  large  cetaceans. 
,  The  sei  whale  has  a  roving  disposition  and  wan- 
ders restlessly  from  one  coast  to  another,  sometimes 
journeying  great  distances  and  suddenly  appearing 
in  waters  where  it  has  never  before  been  known.  It 

123 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

has  more  or  less  regular  migrations  and  there  is 
evidence  that  individuals  travel  from  the  Antarctic 
into  the  North  Atlantic  and  Pacific  Oceans. 

Strangely  enough  a  clew  to  their  wanderings  has 
been  given  by  a  parasite  which  lives  upon  the  whale's 
body.  This  Copepod,  known  as  Penella  antarctica, 
produces  a  peculiar  white  or  grayish  oval  scar  two 
or  three  inches  in  length,  which  for  many  years  was 
supposed  to  be  a  feature  of  the  sei  whale's  coloration. 
I  suspected  at  first  sight  that  these  spots  \vere  scars  left 
by  a  parasite  of  some  sort,  but  it  was  not  until  two 
years  later  that  my  suspicion  was  proved  correct  and 
the  animal  itself  discovered. 

It  was  doubly  interesting  to  find  that  this  parasite 
is  an  Antarctic  species  which  has  never  been  known 
from  the  North  Atlantic  or  Pacific  Ocean.  On  the 
second  French  Antarctic  Expedition  Dr.  Liouville 
discovered  that  all  the  sei  whales  taken  in  the  South 
Atlantic  were  bristling  with  these  parasites  but  ex- 
cept in  rare  cases  the  whales  of  the  north  have  none 
of  them  in  situ.  The  parasites  are  short-lived  and 
probably  die  or  break  off  during  the  northward  travels 
of  their  hosts,  leaving  only  the  scars  behind. 

It  is  not  probable  that  all  sei  whales  make  this  mi- 
gration annually — in  fact  it  is  highly  improbable  that 
such  is  the  case — 'but  herds  are  apparently  formed 
which  visit  certain  localities  every  year,  now  and  then 
being  reinforced  by  individuals  which  have  come  either 
from  the  Antarctic  into  the  north  or  vice  versa. 

The  migration  of  the  large  Cetacea  is  a  subject 
about  which  very  little  is  known  and  of  which  but 

124 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

few  positive  statements  can  be  made.  In  the  case  of 
only  one  species,  the  California  gray  whale,  can  we 
tell  exactly  where,  when,  and  how  far  the  animals 


r 


"In  the  water  the  sei  whale  may  be  easily  recognized  at  a  con- 
siderable distance  by  the  form  of  the  spout  and  the  high 
dorsal  fin  which  is  prominently  displayed  as  the  animal  swims 
at  the  surface." 


travel,  for  this  coast-loving  whale  migrates  as  regu- 
larly as  do  birds  and  the  paths  of  its  wanderings  are 
known. 

In  the  water  the  sei  whale  may  be  easily  recog- 
nized at  a  considerable  distance  by  the  form  of  the 

126 


HABITS  OF  THE  SEI  WHALE 

spout  and  the  high  dorsal  fin  which  is  prominently 
displayed  as  the  animal  swims  at  the  surface. 

This  species  does  not  dive  very  deeply  and  when 
feeding  its  movements  can  usually  be  traced  by  the 
disturbed  water,  as  well  as  by  the  clouds  of  birds  hov- 


"The  sei  whale  has  a  roving  disposition  and  wanders  restlessly 
from  one  coast  to  another,  sometimes  .  .  .  suddenly  appear- 
ing in  waters  where  it  has  never  before  been  known." 

ering  about  the  tiny  sea  animals  which  come  to  the 
surface. 

In  Norway  the  sei  whale  feeds  upon  the  small  red 
shrimp  (Enphaiisia)  and  an  exceedingly  minute 
crustacean  known  as  "Aate"  (Calamis  finmarchius); 
in  Japan  only  three  or  four  individuals  which  I  ex- 
amined during  1910  had  anything  but  shrimp  in  their 

127 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

stomachs,  although  the  natives  say  that  sardines  are 
often  eaten,  and  call  this  species  the  sardine  whale. 

All  the  gunners  assert  that  the  sei  whale  can  reach 
a  greater  speed  in  its  first  rush  after  being  harpooned 
than  any  other  large  cetacean,  and  I  have  seen  ani- 
mals which  were  not  killed  at  once  dash  off  like  a 
hooked  bluefish.  But  the  first  wild  rush  is  soon  ended 
and  the  whale  is  generally  easily  killed  because  it  does 
not  have  the  strength  and  staying  power  of  its  larger 
relatives,  the  finback  and  the  blue  whale. 

On  land  the  African  hunting  leopard,  or  cheetah 
(Acinomyx  jubatus),  parallels  the  sei  whale,  and  for 
a  few  hundred  yards  can  probably  distance  any  other 
animal,  although  it  too  soon  tires  if  the  chase  is  long. 


CHAPTER  X 
A  LONG  BLUE  WHALE  CHASE 

CAPTAIN  FRED  OLSEN  had   invited  me  to 
spend  a  week  with  him  aboard  the  Rckknsu 
Maru,  and  for  five  days  we  had  been  at  sea  los- 
ing both  coal  and  patience  chasing  finbacks  with  but 
one  whale  to  our  credit.     The  fifth  evening,  after  a 


"Suddenly  a  cloud  of  white  vapor  shot  into  our  very  faces  and 
a  great  dripping  body  rounded  out  under  the  ship's  bow. 
The  click  of  the  camera  was  followed  by  the  deafening  roar 
of  the  gun." 

129 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

hard  day's  work  with  no  results,  the  ship  was  headed 
for  Kamaishi,  a  good  harbor  some  seventy  miles 
from  Aikawa. 

At  9 130  the  Rekkusu  was  in  quiet  water  well  within 
the  bay  and  when  we  came  on  deck  for  a  look  around 
we  could  see  by  their  lights  two  whale  ships  riding 
smoothly  at  short  anchor  chains  only  a  little  dis- 
tance away.  One  was  Daito  No.  2,  Captain  Larsen, 
with  whom  I  had  hunted  humpback  whales  off  the 
coast  of  Vancouver  Island  two  years  before  when 
he  had  the  St.  Lawrence;  the  other,  the  Airondo  Maru, 
Captain  Reidar  Jacobsen's  ship.  Both  Olsen  and 
myself  were  tired  so  we  did  not  go  aboard  but  turned 
in  at  ten  o'clock  and  were  soon  asleep. 

The  next  morning  I  was  awakened  by  the  alter- 
nate starting  and  stopping  of  the  engines  and  knew 
that  already  a  whale  had  been  sighted.  It  was  seven 
o'clock  and  dressing  hurriedly  I  ran  on  deck  to  find 
the  ship  rolling  about  in  a  heavy  sea  and  a  cold  rain 
falling.  I  got  into  a  suit  of  oilskins  and  then  climbed 
to  the  bridge.  My  greeting  of  "O  kayo"  (good 
morning)  was  answered  by  the  man  at  the  wheel, 
who  said  they  were  hunting  a  shiro-nagasu  (blue 
whale),  which  had  been  found  about  six  o'clock  and 
had  almost  given  a  shot.  Captain  Olsen  was  at  the 
gun  and  waved  his  hand  in  greeting  just  as  we  heard 
the  metallic  whistle  of  the  spout  on  the  starboard 
bow. 

I  got  the  camera  ready  for  use,  protecting  it  as  much 
as  possible  with  the  flap  of  my  oilskin  jacket,  but  was 
rather  dubious  as  to  how  successful  the  pictures  would 

130 


A  LONG  BLUE  WHALE  CHASE 

be.  The  driving  rain  covered  the  lens  with  a  film 
of  water  as  soon  as  the  coat  was  lifted,  and  I  knew 
that  trouble  could  be  expected  with  the  shutter  when 


"For  ten  minutes  the  silence  continued,  then  the  Captain  said  in 
a  quiet  voice :     'There  he  is,  far  away  on  the  beam !'  " 


the  dampness  had  penetrated  to  its  curtain.  The 
whale  came  up  two  or  three  times  and  through  the 
field  glasses  I  could  see  its  diminutive  dorsal  fin  and 
blue-gray  back  which,  in  the  rain,  appeared  to  be 
exactly  the  color  of  the  water. 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

Twice  a  shot  seemed  imminent  but  each  time  the 
animal  refused  to  take  the  last  short  dive  which  would 
have  brought  it  within  range.  At  9  o'clock  Captain 
Olsen  ran  to  the  cabin  for  a  cup  of  coffee  and  to 
change  his  wet  clothes,  for  he  had  neglected  to  put 
on  oilskins  before  going  on  deck.  He  had  only  been 
below  ten  minutes  when  the  whale  appeared  not  far 
away  and  Olsen  hurried  forward,  pulling  on  his  coat 
as  he  ran.  Again  the  whale  rose,  about  thirty  fathoms 
from  the  ship  and  just  out  of  range. 

Olsen  called  to  me : 

"Get  ready;  he'll  come  close  next  time." 

Suddenly  a  cloud  of  white  vapor  shot  into  our  very 
faces  and  a  great  dripping  body  rounded  out  under 
the  ship's  bow.  The  click  of  the  camera  was  followed 
by  the  deafening  roar  of  the  gun;  then  there  was  a 
moment's  stillness  as  the  giant  figure  quivered, 
straightened  out,  righted  itself,  and  with  a  crashing 
blow  of  the  flukes  swung  about  and  dashed  away,  tear- 
ing through  the  water  partly  on  the  surface,  partly 
below  it. 

The  cry  of  "Banzai!"  which  rose  from  the  sailors 
was  drowned  in  the  shrieking  of  the  winch  and  the 
pounding  of  the  line  on  the  deck  as  fathom  after 
fathom  was  dragged  over  the  iron  wheels. 

Through  the  cloud  of  smoke  I  could  see  the  Engi- 
neer putting  all  his  strength  upon  the  brake  and  heard 
him  shout  for  water  to  wet  the  burning  wood.  One 
hundred,  two  hundred,  three  hundred  fathoms  were 
dragged  out  when  suddenly  the  rush  ceased  and  the 
ship  lay  still,  quietly  rolling  in  the  swell.  The  whale 

132 


A  LONG  BLUE  WHALE  CHASE 

had  sounded,  and  the  rope  hung  straight  down  from 
the  bow  as  rigid  as  a  bar  of  steel. 

Fifteen  minutes  we  waited  and  there  was  no  sign 
from  below.  Olsen  began  to  get  uneasy  and  to  stamp 
upon  the  line,  hoping  to  stir  the  great  animal  which 
was  sulking  on  the  bottom. 

"I  don't  want  him  to  die  down  there,"  he  said,  "for 
I'm  afraid  of  this  line.  The  starboard  rope  is  all 
right  but  this  one  is  weak.  If  he  doesn't  come  top- 
sides  to  blow  so  I  can  get  in  another  harpoon,  we 
may  break  the  line  in  heaving  him  up.  He's  down 
a  long  way  and  the  strain  will  be  awful." 

After  twenty  minutes  the  rope  began  slowly  to  come 
in,  and  I  went  forward  with  the  Captain  to  the  gun 
platform,  waiting  for  the  whale  to  spout.  \Ye  saw  it 
at  last,  but  so  far  away  that  I  thought  it  was  a  differ- 
ent animal.  The  engines  had  been  stopped  when  the 
whale  was  down  but  now  the  ship  began  to  move. 
Faster  and  faster  the  vessel  tore  through  the  water 
until  Olsen  ordered  half  speed  astern. 

The  harpoon  had  struck  the  whale  in  a  bad  place, 
for  with  the  iron  imbedded  between  his  massive  shoul- 
ders he  could  pull  with  all  his  strength.  For  half 
an  hour  we  were  dragged  through  the  water  and  again 
he  sounded.  This  time  he  was  down  ten  minutes 
and  came  to  the  surface  with  a  rush  which  threw  half 
his  eighty  feet  of  body  into  the  air.  Then  he  started 
off  at  a  terrific  pace.  The  Captain  did  not  dare  to 
check  his  dash  and  ordered  another  line  to  be  spliced 
on  when  the  men  called  up  from  below  that  the  rope 
was  almost  gone.  Three-quarters  of  a  mile  of  line 

133 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

was  out  before  the  animal  finally  slowed  enough  so 
that  the  winch  could  hold.  Even  then,  with  the  en- 
gines at  full  speed  astern,  the  ship  was  being  dragged 
ahead  at  nearly  six  knots  an  hour. 

Our  catch  next  began  a  series  of  short  dives,  fol- 


"I  ran  on  deck  just  as  the  great  brute  rounded  up  right  beside 
the  bow  and  the  gun  flashed  out  in  the  darkness." 

lowed  by  frantic  rushes  from  side  to  side,  which 
lasted  two  hours.  Each  time  the  animal  went  down 
the  winch  ground  in  a  few  fathoms  of  line,  some- 
times losing  it  and  more  on  the  next  mad  plunge,  but 
slowly,  surely,  recovering  it  foot  by  foot. 

At  eleven  o'clock  the  whale  began  to  weaken. 
Every  time  he  rose  the  stay  at  the  surface  was  a 
little  longer,  his  rushes  became  less  violent,  and  the 

134 


A  LONG  BLUE  WHALE  CHASE 

winch  swallowed  more  and  more  of  the  coveted  line. 
With  the  powerful  glasses  I  could  see  that  at  times 
the  water  about  his  back  was  tinged  with  red,  and 
knew  that  the  working  of  the  hundred-pound  harpoon 
between  his  shoulders  was  making  an  ugly  wound  and 
letting  gallons  of  blood  flow  from  his  great  veins. 

Finally  only  one  line  besides  the  leader  for  the 
harpcon  was  out  and  I  had  already  begun  to  work 
the  camera  whenever  the  whale  rose  to  blow.  The 
wind  had  nearly  died  but  had  left  a  tremendous  swell, 
and  the  little  ship  was  rolling  and  tossing  like  a 
thing  possessed.  Captain  Olsen,  against  his  better 
judgment,  was  drawing  the  whale  in  for  a  second 
shot  when  the  line  slacked  away  as  the  ship  dropped 
into  the  hollow  of  a  great  swell,  then  tightened  sud- 
denly and  parted  with  a  crack  like  a  pistol  shot  when 
she  rose  on  the  crest. 

With  an  cath  Olsen  shouted  for  full  speed,  and 
fired  as  the  great  body  disappeared  beneath  the  sur- 
face. It  was  a  long  chance  but  he  made  it,  and  we 
gave  a  wild  yell  as  the  harpcon  shot  over  the  water 
in  a  wide  semi-circle  and  dropped  upon  the  whale's 
back.  There  w;as  a  sudden  jerk,  a  muffled  explosion, 
and  the  line  slacked  away  again,  leaving  a  great  crim- 
son patch  staining  the  surface.  The  ship  plunged  for- 
ward through  it  and  I  saw  the  bits  of  torn  and  mangled 
flesh  which  told  the  story  all  too  plainly — the  bomb 
on  the  tip  of  the  harpoon,  as  it  exploded,  had  blown 
the  iron  out  and  the  whale  was  free. 

We  lay  to  with  the  engine  stopped  to  see  what 
would  happen  next.  Little  was  said;  almost  the  only 

135 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

sound  was  the  retching  and  groaning  of  a  pump  when 
the  ship  keeled  far  over  to  starboard  with  the  swell. 
For  ten  minutes  the  silence  continued,  then  the  Cap- 
tain said  in  a  quiet  voice :  ''There  he  is,  far  away 
on  the  beam." 

Instantly  the  "ting,  ting"  of  the  bell  in  the  engine 
room  sounded  and  a  chase  began  which  I  shall  long 
remember  as  showing  what  a  great  part  persistency 
plays  in  whaling.  All  the  rest  of  the  afternoon  the 
little  ship  hung  to  the  whale's  track,  now  getting  al- 
most close  enough  to  shoot  and  again  losing  sight 
of  the  spout  in  the  rain  and  fog.  It  was  disagreeable 
enough  for  me  on  the  bridge,  where  I  could  be  partly 
protected  from  the  cold  rain  by  a  canvas  screen,  but 
Captain  Olsen  never  left  the  gun.  At  three  o'clock 
a  cup  of  tea  was  brought  him  and  he  drank  it  hastily, 
meanwhile  cramming  a  few  crackers  into  his  pocket 
to  be  nibbled  as  opportunity  offered. 

The  day  wore  on  but  the  animal  seemed  to  be 
stronger  instead  of  weaker  and  at  five  o'clock  I  had 
given  up  hope  that  we  would  ever  get  another  shot. 

I  had  just  started  to  leave  the  bridge  to  go  below 
when  the  whale  spouted  about  forty  fathoms  away 
and  it  seemed  sure  that  he  would  rise  again  within 
range.  The  man  in  the  barrel  shouted :  "There  he 
comes!"  and  pointed  to  a  spot  just  beside  the  port 
bow.  Captain  Olsen  swung  the  gun  until  he  was 
standing  almost  on  the  edge  of  the  rope-pan  in  front. 
We  could  see  the  huge  form  just  under  the  surface, 
but  it  turned  down  again,  leaving  a  swirling  green 
trail  behind  it. 

136 


A  LONG  BLUE  WHALE  CHASE 


"I'd  have  shot  him  in  the  tail  if  he  had  only  come 
up,"  Captain  Olsen  shouted,  "but  we'll  get  him  yet." 

Shortly  afterward  the  whale  blew  near  us,  dead 
ahead,  and  as  he  turned  to  go  down  a  school  of  por- 
poises dashed  along  beside  his  back.  When  he  rose 


"The  rope  attached  to  the  first  harpoon  floated  backward  in  dan- 
gerous proximity  to  the  propeller  and  it  required  some  care- 
ful work  to  get  the  animal  fast  to  the  bow  and  the  line  safely 
out  of  the  way." 

a  few  seconds  afterward  the  porpoises  were  leaping 
all  about  his  head,  and,  bewildered,  he  did  not  know 
which  way  to  turn.  We  almost  reached  him  but  he 
slid  under  the  w^ater  just  before  the  ship  came  up. 
For  the  next  few  minutes  he  was  lost  in  the  fog  and 
gathering  darkness  and  I  shouted  to  Captain  Olsen: 

137 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

"You'll  never  get  him.     I'm  going  below." 
"Well,  I'll  stand  by  until  it  is  too  dark  to  shoot," 
he  answered.     "I  might  get  a  chance  yet." 

I  had  hardly  reached  the  cabin  and  begun  pulling 
off  my  oilskins  when  the  jerk  of  the  engines  told  me 
they  must  again  be  close.  I  ran  on  deck  just  as  the 


Bringing  the  blue  whale  to  the  station.     The  carcass  is  almost  as 
long  as  the  ship. 


great  brute  rounded  up  right  beside  the  bow  and  the 
gun  flashed  out  in  the  darkness.  "Shinda!"  yelled 
the  sailors,  and  through  the  smoke  cloud  I  could  see 
the  whale  give  a  convulsive  twist,  roll  on  its  side  with 
the  fin  straight  upward,  and  slowly  sink. 

138 


A  LONG  BLUE  WHALE  CHASE 

Almost  at  once  the  winch  began  to  take  in  the  slack 
and  haul  the  carcass  to  the  surface.  When  it  came 
alongside  the  rope  attached  to  the  first  harpoon  floated 
backward  in  dangerous  proximity  to  the  propeller, 
and  it  required  some  careful  work  to  get  the  animal 
fast  to  the  bow  and  the  line  safely  out  of  the  way. 

We  had  a  long  tow  to  the  station,  for  the  chase  had 
carried  us  nearly  one  hundred  and  thirty  miles  away, 
and  not  until  the  next  afternoon  did  the  sturdy  little 
vessel  sweep  into  the  bay  and  deliver  her  whale  to 
the  station  where  in  a  very  few  hours  its  flesh  would 
fill  thousands  of  waiting  cans  and  be  sent  to  the 
markets  throughout  the  Empire. 


CHAPTER  XI 
THE  LARGEST  ANIMAL  THAT  EVER  LIVED 

THE  blue  whale  is  not  only  the  largest  animal 
that  lives  today  upon  the  earth  or  in  its  wa- 
ters, but,  so  far  as  is  known,  it  is  the  largest 
animal  that  has  ever  lived.  Even  those  giant  ex- 
tinct reptiles,  the  dinosaurs,  which  splashed  along 
the  borders  of  the  inland  seas  of  Wyoming  and  Mon- 
tana 3,000,000  years  ago,  could  not  approach  a  blue 
whale  either  in  length  or  weight. 

In  1903,  Dr.  F.  A.  Lucas  weighed  in  sections  a 
blue  whale  taken  at  Newfoundland.  The  animal  was 
78  feet  long  and  35  feet  around  the  shoulders;  the 
head  was  19  feet  in  length  and  the  flukes  16  feet  from 
tip  to  tip.  The  total  weight  was  63  tons;  the  flesh 
weighed  40  tons,  the  blubber  8  tons,  the  blood,  viscera, 
and  baleen  7  tons,  and  the  bones  8  tons.  So  far  as 
I  am  aware  this  is  the  only  specimen  which  has  ever 
been  actually  weighed. 

Exaggerated  accounts  of  the  size  of  this  species  are 
current  even  in  reputable  books  on  natural  history, 
but  the  largest  specimen  which  has  yet  been  actually 
measured  and  recorded  is  one  87  feet  long,  stranded 
a  few  years  ago  upon  the  coast  of  New  Zealand ;  this 
animal  must  have  weighed  at  least  75  tons.  I  have 

140 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

measured  two  blue  whales  85  feet  long  but  individuals 
of  this  size  are  rare. 

All  the  gunners  who  have  hunted  in  the  South  At- 
lantic or  Pacific  tell  remarkable  tales  of  the  enormous 
blue  whales  killed  off  Kerguelen  and  South  Georgia 
Islands.  I  have  no  doubt  that  this  species  reaches 


An  eighty-two  foot  blue  whale  at  Vancouver  Island.  The  mouth 
is  about  nineteen  feet  in  length,  and  the  outer  edges  of  the 
baleen  plates  are  well  shown. 

90  or  possibly  95  feet,  but  the  stories  of  115-  and  120- 
foot  whales  are  certainly  myths.  As  Dr.  Lucas  aptly 
says,  "All  whales  shrink  under  the  tape  measure." 

Undoubtedly  the  principal  reason  why  whales  are 
able  to  attain  such  an  enormous  size  is  because  their 
bodies  are  supported  by  the  water  in  which  they  live. 

142 


THE  LARGEST  ANIMAL  THAT  EVER  LIVED 

A  bird  is  limited  to  the  weight  which  its  wings  can 
bear  up  in  the  air.  A  land  animal,  if  it  becomes 
too  large,  cannot  hold  its  body  off  the  ground  or  move 
about  readily  and  is  doomed  to  certain  destruction. 
But  a  whale  has  to  face  none  of  these  problems  and 
can  grow  without  restraint.  The  sperm  and  right 
whales  float  when  killed,  but  the  fin  whales  usually 
sink  although  the  specific  gravity  of  their  bodies  is 
but  little  more  than  that  of  water. 

Because  whales  live  in  a  supporting  medium  their 
young  are  of  enormous  size  at  birth,  in  some  instances 
the  calf  being  almost  half  the  length  of  its  mother. 
I  once  took  from  an  80- foot  blue  whale  a  2 5- foot 
baby  which  weighed  about  8  tons.  The  calf  was  just 
ready  for  birth  and  was  fully  formed,  the  whalebone 
being  about  three  inches  long. 

At  Aikawa  a  sperm  whale  32  feet  in  length  con- 
tained a  foetus  14  feet,  8  inches  long,  and  in  Alaska 
while  a  65-foot  finback  whale  was  being  drawn  out  of 
the  water  upon  the  slip  she  gave  birth  to  a  22-foot 
baby,  which,  of  course,  was  dead. 

Not  long  ago  I  read  an  account  of  a  happy  event 
of  this  sort  which  was  said  to  have  occurred  on  the 
Labrador  coast,  where  the  baby  whale  flopped  off  into 
the  water  and  swam  away.  This  was,  of  course,  not 
true,  for  the  foetus  would  die  with  its  mother,  but 
when  such  stories  once  find  their  way  into  print  they 
are  difficult  to  stop. 

The  wonderful  strength  of  the  blue  whale  is  almost 
beyond  belief,  and  I  have  listened  to  many  stories  from 
Norwegians  which  I  would  not  dare  repeat  here  al- 

143 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

though  personally  I  believe  them  to  be  true.  J.  G. 
Millais,  Esq.,  has  given  an  interesting  account  of 
a  blue  whale  hunt,  which  I  am  quoting  in  full  since  it 


The  open  mouth  of  a  blue  whale.  Ten  or  twelve  men  could 
stand  in  the  mouth,  but  the  throat  is  only  eight  inches  in 
diameter. 

shows,  in  some  degree,  of  what  this  magnificent  ani- 
mal is  capable: 

The  most  remarkable  and  protracted  hunt  on  record  after 
a  Whale  was  experienced  by  the  steamer  Puma  in  1903.  The 
most  exaggerated  accounts  of  this  appeared  in  the  Ameri- 
can and  English  papers,  where  the  journalists  went  so  far 
as  to  say  that  the  Whale  had  towed  the  ship  from  New- 
foundland to  Labrador,  and  other  wild  statements.  The  fol- 
lowing particulars  were  given  by  Hans  Johanessen,  mate 
of  the  Puma,  so  they  are,  at  any  rate,  first  hand. 

144 


THE  LARGEST  ANIMAL  THAT  EVER  LIVED 

The  Puma  spied  and  "struck"  a  large  Blue  Whale  six  miles 
from  Placentia  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning.  The  animal 
immediately  became  "wild,"  and  it  was  found  impossible 
to  get  near  enough  to  fire  another  harpoon  into  it.  For 
the  entire  day  it  towed  the  steamer,  .with  engines  at  half 
speed  astern,  at  a  rate  of  six  knots.  Toward  evening  a 


The  upper  jaw  of  a   blue  whale,   showing  the   mat  of  hairlike 
bristles  on  the  inner  edges  of  the  baleen  plates. 

second  rope  was  made  fast  to  the  stern  of  the  vessel  and 
attached  to  the  first  line,  now  "out"  about  one  mile.  The 
steamer  then  put  on  full  speed  ahead.  This  seemed  to  in- 
cense the  Whale,  which  put  forth  all  its  strength  and  dragged 
the  whole  of  the  after  part  of  the  vessel  under  water,  flood- 
ing the  after  cabin  and  part  of  the  engine  room.  The  stern 
rope  was  immediately  cut  with  an  ax  and  the  danger  averted. 
All  through  the  night  the  gallant  Whale  dragged  the 

145 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

steamer,  with  the  dead-weight  of  two  miles  of  rope  and  the 
engines  going  half-speed  astern,  and  at  9  A.  M.  the  follow- 
ing morning  the  monster  seemed  to  be  as  lively  and  power- 
ful as  ever.  At  10  A.  M.,  however,  its  strength  seemed  to 
decrease,  and  at  11  it  was  wallowing  on  the  surface,  where 
at  12:30  it  was  finally  lanced  by  the  captain.  This  great 
fight  occupied  twenty-eight  hours,  the  Whale  having  dragged 
the  steamer  a  distance  of  thirty  miles  to  Cape  St.  Mary. 

One  of  the  troubles  of  this  form  of  whaling  is  the  dif- 
ficulty of  avoiding  fishing  craft  when  the  Whale  is  struck. 
In  Shetland  and  Newfoundland  captains  are  not  allowed  to 
fire  at  a  Whale  within  one  mile  of  boats  or  two  miles  of 
the  coast,  but  these  precautions  are  generally  ignored.  Cap- 
tain Nilsen,  when  hunting  in  the  Cabot  in  Hermitage  Bay 
in  1903,  struck  a  large  bull  which  lay  as  if  dead  alongside 
the  steamer.  The  crew  were  about  to  attach  the  tail  to 
the  bow-chains  when  the  Whale  suddenly  recovered  and 
started  full  speed  for  the  coast,  towing  the  steamer  at  ten 
knots. 

After  an  hour  it  stopped  and  lay  on  the  surface  of  the 
sea,  when  Captain  Nilsen  fired  a  second  harpoon,  which 
only  had  the  effect  of  waking  up  the  monster.  It  then  went 
full  speed  for  the  fishing  fleet,  which  was  close  at  hand, 
dived  under  their  nets,  and  did  damage  to  the  extent  of  a 
hundred  dollars.  After  a  further  rush  of  five  miles  a  third 
harpoon  was  fired,  which  killed  the  Whale  right  opposite 
the  factory.1 

My  friend,  Captain  H.  G.  Melsom,  tells  me  that 
while  hunting  off  the  coast  of  Siberia  he  struck  a  blue 
whale  which  ran  out  three  thousand  feet  of  line  and, 
with  engines  at  full  speed  astern,  towed  the  ship  for- 

"The  Mammals  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland."  By  J.  G. 
Millais.  Longmans,  Green,  &  Co.,  pp.  256-257. 

146 


THE  LARGEST  ANIMAL  THAT  EVER  LIVED 

ward  for  seven  hours  at  no  time  at  a  less  speed  than 
eight  knots.  Some  years  before  this  in  Norway  he 
shot  a  blue  whale  at  five  P.  M.,  which  dragged  the  ship 
with  engines  at  full  speed  astern  until  eleven  P.M., 
when  he  slowed  down  to  half  speed;  at  one  A.  M.  he 
changed  to  dead  slow  and  he  finally  killed  the  whale 
at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning. 


CHAPTER  XII 
WHAT  HAS  BECOME  OF  THE  WHALE'S  LEGS 

IF  a  whale  is  struck  near  the  tail  by  the  harpoon 
it  is  almost  powerless  to  pull  because  the  strain 
on  the  rope  straightens  out  its  body  and  the  ani- 
mal can  swim  only  with  difficulty.  Practically  all  of 
the  forward  motion  is  developed  by  means  of  the 
flukes  and  the  side  fins  are  only  used  as  balancing 
organs  and  in  turning  and  rising  to  the  surface.  The 
flukes  are  not  twisted  in  a  rotary  movement  like  the 
propeller  of  a  ship,  as  is  commonly  believed,  but  wave 
straight  up  and  down. 

While  hunting  in  Alaska  I  had  an  excellent  oppor- 
tunity to  see  the  manner  in  which  a  whale  swims.  I 
had  climbed  to  the  barrel  at  the  masthead  while  we 
were  following  an  enormous  humpback  and  as  the 
water  was  like  glass  save  for  the  long  swell,  I  could 
see  15  or  20  feet  beneath  the  surface. 

Suddenly  the  dim  outlines  of  the  whale  took  shape 
in  the  green  depths  far  below  me  but  when  near  the 
surface  the  animal  checked  its  upward  rush,  turned 
downward,  and  dove  directly  under  the  ship,  rising 
a  hundred  fathoms  away  on  the  port  beam.  I  could 
see  every  movement  of  the  great  body  as  clearly  as 
though  the  whale  had  been  suspended  in  mid-air. 
When  the  animal  turned,  the  side  fins  were  thrown 

148 


WHAT  HAS  BECOME  OF  THE  WHALE'S  LEGS 

outward  but  were  pressed  close  to  the  body  as  it  swam 
under  the  ship. 

A  whale's  flippers  must  not  be  compared  with  the 
fins  of  a  fish,  for  in  structure  the  two  are  quite  un- 
like. The  flippers  of  all  cetaceans  are  merely  the  fore 


Posterior  view  of  a  blue  whale  on  the  slip  at  Aikawa,  Japan. 
The  flukes  have  been  cut  off  and  the  wide  thin  caudal  portion 
of  the  body  is  well  shown. 

limbs  of  ordinary  land  mammals,  which  have  become 
overlaid  with  blubber  to  form  a  paddle  in  adaptation 
to  an  aquatic  life  and  have  the  bones,  blood  vessels, 
and  nerves  of  the  human  arm.  The  flipper  of  the 
humpback  whale  has  four  greatly  elongated  fingers 
but  in  some  other  species  there  are  five  fingers  as 
in  the  human  hand. 

Cetaceans  also  have  rudiments  of  the  hind  limbs. 
These  consist  of  the  pelvis,  which  is  fairly  well  devel- 

149 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

oped,  and  small  nodules  of  bone  representing  the 
femur  and  sometimes  the  tibia;  the  latter  is  cartilagi- 
nous except  in  rare  cases.  These  rudiments  are,  of 
course,  entirely  concealed  within  the  body  and  can  only 
be  found  by  carefully  cutting  away  the  flesh  surround- 
ing the  sexual  organs. 


The  flipper  of  a  humpback  whale.  "The  flippers  of  all  cetaceans 
are  merely  the  fore  limbs  of  ordinary  land  mammals,  which 
have  become  overlaid  with  blubber  to  form  a  paddle." 

One  of  the  most  striking  things  about  the  blue 
whale,  and  indeed  all  its  relatives,  are  the  folds  which 
extend  longitudinally  from  the  lower  jaw  backward 
over  the  throat,  breast,  and  abdomen.  In  different 
species  of  whales  the  folds  vary  in  number  and  width, 
the  furrows  between  them  being  about  an  inch  in 
depth  and  the  skin  capable  of  great  extension. 

The  use  of  the  folds  has  been  a  subject  of  dis- 
agreement among  naturalists,  but  my  own  belief  is 

150 


WHAT  HAS  BECOME  OF  THE  WHALE'S  LEGS 

that  they  are  an  adaptation  to  increase  the  mouth 
capacity  and  to  give  greater  power  of  expansion  to 
the  lungs. 

The  folds  are  not  composed  of  flesh  but  entirely 
of  blubber,  the  layer  of  fibrous  fat  which  covers  the 
bodies  of  all  whales,  porpoises,  and  dolphins  and 
lies  between  the  skin  and  the  flesh.  Since  cetaceans 
are  warm-blooded  animals  (fish  and  reptiles  are  cold- 


After  the  humpback's  flipper  has  been  stripped  of  blubber.  The 
forearm,  wrist  and  fingers  are  shown.  In  this  species  the 
digits  have  been  reduced  to  four  and  are  greatly  elongated. 

blooded)  it  is  necessary  for  them  to  have  some  pro- 
tection from  the  cold.  Hair  is  not  sufficient  for  this 
purpose  as  in  land  mammals;  consequently  the  layer 
of  blubber,  which  acts  as  a  non-conductor  and  pre- 
vents the  heat  of  the  animal's  body  from  being  ab- 
sorbed by  the  water,  has  been  developed.  It  is  from 
this  that  the  whale  oil  of  commerce  is  boiled  or  tried 
out.  The  blubber  may  be  easily  peeled  off  the  body 
in  strips  called  "blanket  pieces/'  which  are  cut  into 
blocks  and  after  being  sliced  are  put  into  the  trying- 
out  kettles. 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

When  one  of  these  great  pieces  of  blubber  is  being 
torn  off  a  whale's  body  it  sometimes  gives  way  and 
springs  back  with  tremendous  force.  At  the  Oshima 
station  in  Japan,  my  cook  who  had  one  day  been 
pressed  into  service  when  several  whales  were  waiting 


The  folds  on  the  throat  of  a  finback  whale.  Probably  the  folds 
are  an  adaptation  to  increase  the  mouth  capacity  and  to  give 
greater  power  of  expansion  to  the  lungs. 

to  be  cut  in  was  struck  fairly  upon  the  head  by  a 
blanket  piece  and  instantly  killed;  his  skull  was 
crushed  as  though  it  had  been  paper  and  his  neck, 
shoulder,  and  arm  broken.  At  Aikawa  a  blubber  strip 
gave  way  when  half  the  carcass  of  a  humpback  wras 
suspended  in  the  air,  letting  the  weight  of  some  fif- 
teen or  twenty  tons  fall  upon  a  cutter  standing  below ; 

152 


WHAT  HAS  BECOME  OF  THE  WHALE'S  LEGS 

when  taken  from  beneath  the  whale  the  poor  fellow 
could  hardly  be  recognized  as  a  human  being. 

Kyuquot  had  trouble,  also,  when  a  blanket  piece 
struck  a  flenser's  knife,  driving  it  into  his  side  and 
injuring  him  badly.  And  yet  it  is  surprising  what 
tremendous  strength  and  tenacity  the  fibrous  blubber 
has.  A  few  inches  of  it  will  resist  the  strain  of  sev- 
eral thousand  pounds,  and  I  have  seen  a  whale  drag 
a  ship  through  the  water  for  half  an  hour  with  only 
two  harpoon  prongs  caught  under  the  blubber  of  the 
back. 

When  a  female  whale  is  pregnant  the  blubber  is 
much  thicker  and  softer  than  at  other  times  and 
yields  a  greater  supply  of  oil;  from  other  causes  it 
may  also  be  very  thin,  and  become  hard  and  dry. 
The  blubber  varies  in  color  and  may  be  light  yel- 
low, deep  pink,  or  almost  white.  It  is  thinnest  upon 
the  sides,  throat,  and  breast,  and  thickest  on  the  "neck" 
just  behind  the  blowholes,  at  the  dorsal  fin,  and  from 
that  point  along  the  ridge  of  the  back,  or  "caudal 
peduncle,"  almost  to  the  flukes.  On  the  sides  an 
average  thickness  in  the  fin  whales  is  six  inches,  but 
just  behind  the  dorsal  fin  it  may  reach  twelve  or  four- 
teen inches. 

Since  cetaceans  live  in  the  water  where  they  do  not 
touch  rough  surfaces  their  skins  are  very  soft  and 
smooth;  the  skin  is  about  half  an  inch  thick  and  may 
be  separated  from  the  blubber  only  with  difficulty. 
It  is  composed  of  one  or  more  thin  outer  sheets  (epi- 
dermis) which  may  be  easily  stripped  off,  leaving 
exposed  the  tender  under  layer  (dermis).  The  skin 

153 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

is  perfectly  dry  and  does  not  possess  either  the  oil 
(sebaceous)  or  sweat  (sudoriferous)  glands  usually 
present  in  the  skins  of  land  mammals.  Because  of  the 
development  of  blubber,  and  the  absence  of  functional 
hair,  such  glands  are  no  longer  necessary.  The  skins 
of  some  cetaceans,  notably  the  white  whale,  or  beluga, 


A  cross  section  of  the  folds  on  the  breast  of  a  humpback  whale. 
The  upper  thin  black  margin  is  the  skin,  then  comes  the  thick 
white  blubber  below  which  is  the  red  flesh. 

and  the  bottlenose  porpoise  are  made  into  leather  and 
furnish  the  "porpoise  hide"  of  commerce,  but  that  of 
other  porpoises  or  whales  has  not  been  put  to  extensive 
commercial  use. 

I  have  often  read  of  ships  being  followed  for  days 
by  whales  but  have  no  first-hand  information  of  such 
occurrences.  Scammon,  however,  remarks  that  he 

154 


WHAT  HAS  BECOME  OF  THE  WHALE'S  LEGS 

has  "observed  them  following  in  a  vessel's  wake  for 
several  leagues,"  and  gives  an  extract  from  the  jour- 
nal of  Dr.  J.  D.  B.  Stillman  of  San  Francisco,  in 
1850,  concerning  a  blue  whale,  or  "sulphur-bottom/' 
as  it  is  sometimes  called,  which  followed  the  ship 


The  eye  and  ear  of  a  blue  whale.  The  eye  is  just  above  the 
corner  of  the  mouth  and  the  ear  is  the  small  spot  about  four 
feet  behind  it.  The  ear  canal  is  just  large  enough  to  admit 
a  small  pencil,  but  because  water  is  such  a  good  medium  for 
carrying  sound,  whales  hear  excellently. 

Plymouth    for   twenty-four    consecutive   days.      The 
account  is  so  interesting  that  I  quote  it  in  full : 

November  I3th :  We  are  witnesses  of  a  very  remarkable 
exhibition  of  the  social  disposition  of  the  whale.  A  week 
ago  to-day  we  passed  several,  and  during  the  afternoon 

155 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

it  was  discovered  that  one  of  them  continued  to  follow  us, 
and  was  becoming  more  familiar,  keeping  under  the  ship  and 
only  coming  out  to  breathe.  A  great  deal  of  uneasiness 
was  felt,  lest  in  his  careless  gambols  he  might  unship  our 
rudder,  or  do  us  some  other  damage. 

It  was  said  that  bilge-water  would  drive  him  off,  and 
the  pumps  were  started,  but  to  no  purpose.  At  length  more 
violent  means  were  resorted  to ;  volley  after  volley  of  rifle 
shots  were  fired  into  him,  billets  of  wood,  bottles,  etc.,  were 
thrown  upon  his  head  with  such  force  as  to  separate  the 
integument ;  to  all  of  which  he  paid  not  the  slightest  atten- 
tion, and  he  still  continued  to  swim  under  us,  keeping  our 
exact  rate  of  speed,  whether  in  calm  or  storm,  and  rising 
to  blow  almost  into  the  cabin  windows. 

He  seems  determined  to  stay  with  us  until  he  can  find 
better  company.  His  length  is  about  eighty  feet;  his  tail 
measures  about  twelve  feet  across ;  and  in  the  calm,  as  we 
look  down  into  the  transparent  water,  we  see  him  in  all  his 
huge  proportions. 

November  2Qth :  The  bark  Kirk-wood  hove  in  sight,  and 
bore  down  to  speak  to  us.  When  off  a  mile  or  two  to  lee- 
ward, our  whale  left  us  and  went  to  her,  but  returned  soon 
after.  He  showed  great  restlessness  last  night;  and  today, 
whenever  we  stood  off  on  the  outward  tack,  he  kept  close 
below  us,  and  rose  just  under  our  quarter,  and  most  com- 
monly to  windward,  to  blow.  But  whenever  we  stood  toward 
the  land  he  invariably  hung  back  and  showed  discontent. 
This  afternoon  he  left  us. 

It  is  now  twenty-four  days  since  he  attached  himself  to 
us,  and  during  that  time  he  has  followed  us  as  faithfully  as 
a  dog  an  emigrant's  wagon.  At  first  we  abused  him  in  every 
way  that  our  ingenuity  could  devise  to  drive  him  off,  lest 
he  might  do  us  some  mischief;  but  save  some  scratches  he 
received  from  our  ship's  coppering  and  numerous  sloughing 
sores,  caused  by  the  balls  that  had  been  fired  into  him,  no 
damage  was  received  by  either  of  us  by  his  close  companion- 

156 


WHAT  HAS  BECOME  OF  THE  WHALE'S  LEGS 

ship,  though  our  white  paint  was  badly  stained  by  the  im- 
purity of  his  breath. 

We  long  since  ceased  our  efforts  to  annoy  him,  and  had 
become  attached  to  him  as  to  a  dog.  We  had  named  him 
"Blowhard,"  and  even  fancied,  as  we  called  him,  that  he 


The  skull  of  an  eighty-foot  blue  whale,  the  skeleton  of  which 
was  sent  to  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History  from 
Japan.  When  crated  for  shipment  the  skull  had  a  space 
measurement  of  twenty-one  tons. 

came  closer  under  our  quarter,  when  I  felt  like  patting  his 
glabrous  sides,  and  saying:     "Good  old  fellow." 

As  the  water  grew  shoaler  he  left  us,  with  regret  un- 
feigned on  our  part,  and  apparently  so  on  his.  This  story  of 
the  whale  is  so  remarkable,  that  were  there  not  so  many 
witnesses,  I  would  not  venture  to  tell  it,  lest  I  be  accused 
of  exaggeration.  There  were  a  number  of  experienced 
whalemen  among  our  passengers,  who  said  the  animal  was  a 
"Sulphurbottom."  x 


1  (/.  c.,  p.  71,  note.) 


157 


CHAPTER  XIII 
THE  GREYHOUND  OF  THE  SEA 

THE  finback  whale  is  the  greyhound  of  the  sea, 
and  well  deserves  the  name,  for  its  beautiful, 
slender  body  is  built  like  a  racing  yacht  and 
the  animal  can  surpass  the  speed  of  the  fastest  ocean 
steamship. 

It  is  a  hard  whale  to  kill  and  trouble  can  always  be 
expected  if  the  iron  strikes  too  far  back.  The  first 
one  I  ever  hunted  gave  us  a  four  hours'  fight,  with 
two  harpoons  in  its  body,  and  furnished  abundant 
proof  of  what  a  truly  magnificent  creature  the  finback 
is. 

It  was  while  I  was  with  Captain  Charles  Grahame 
on  the  Tyee  in  Alaska.  We  had  had  an  exciting 
experience  with  a  humpback  whale  which  rose  under 
the  ship  (described  in  Chapter  III),  and  after  killing 
it  had  steamed  toward  several  finbacks  which  were 
spouting  far  away  near  the  coast.  The  huge  brutes 
were  feeding  and  lying  on  the  surface  rolling  from 
side  to  side,  thrusting  their  fins  and  flukes  into  the  air. 
I  could  see,  with  the  glass,  that  always  when  taking 
a  mouthful  of  shrimps  they  turned  on  their  sides, 
letting  the  great  under  jaws  close  over  the  upper, 
the  water  spurting  out  in  streams  from  between  the 
plates  of  baleen. 

158 


. 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

As  the  vessel  neared  the  whales  the  signal  was 
sounded  for  half  speed,  and  quietly  she  slid  through 
the  water  toward  two  big  finbacks  which  were  leisurely 
swimming  along  close  together.  Intent  on  the  feed 
which  floated  in  patches  at  the  surface  and  stained 


"I   was   standing  on  the  bridge   with  the  camera   focused  and 
pressed  the  button  as  they  rose  to  the  surface." 


the  water  a  light  pink,  the  whales  paid  not  the  slight- 
est attention  to  the  steamer  which  was  creeping  so 
slowly  and  quietly  near  them.  They  went  down  in 
front  of  the  bow,  just  out  of  range,  but  without 
arching  their  backs,  showing  that  the  dive  would  be  a 
short  one;  and  so  it  proved,  for  they  reappeared  only 
ten  fathoms  away  on  the  port  bow. 

160 


THE  GREYHOUND  OF  THE  SEA 

I  was  standing  on  the  bridge  with  the  camera  fo- 
cused and  pressed  the  button  as  they  rose  to  the 
surface.  An  instant  later  came  the  crash  of  the  har- 
poon-gun and  the  nearest  \vhale,  throwing  its  flukes 
and  half  its  body  out  of  the  water,  turned  head  down 
in  a  long  dive. 

"You  got  him,"  yelled  the  Captain,  and  it  was  evi- 
dent that  Sorenson  had  hit,  for  the  heavy  rope  was 
running  out  at  a  tremendous  rate.  Fifty,  seventy- 
five,  one  hundred  fathoms  were  taken  almost  before 
we  knew  it.  The  man  at  the  winch  tried  to  check  the 
hissing  line  but  the  brake  could  not  hold.  Half  a  mile 
of  cable  was  gone  before  the  rush  ended  and  the  Cap- 
tain rang  for  half  speed  astern.  When  the  whale  felt 
the  heavy  drag  of  the  vessel  he  stopped  and  sounded, 
sulked  on  the  bottom  for  nearly  half  an  hour,  and 
finally  reappeared  in  front  of  the  boat,  about  three 
hundred  fathoms  away,  blowing  strongly. 

The  steamer  was  sent  astern  at  half  speed  and  the 
line  held  by  the  winch.  The  steady,  relentless  pull  was 
too  much  for  even  his  wonderful  strength,  and  slowly 
we  neared  the  whale.  Back  and  forth  he  dived  across 
our  bows,  tugging  at  the  line  and  sometimes  gaining 
a  few  fathoms  from  the  grinding  wheels.  At  last  he 
rose  directly  in  front  of  the  ship  and  Sorenson  sent 
a  second  harpoon  crashing  into  his  side. 

Stung  to  renewed  efforts  by  the  biting  steel,  the 
whale  dove  at  right  angles  to  the  vessel's  course,  keel- 
ing the  boat  far  over  to  port.  I  was  standing  on  the 
wing  of  the  bridge  waiting  to  get  a  picture  when  the 
Captain  shouted: 

161 


THE  GREYHOUND  OF  THE  SEA 

"Quick !  Give  me  a  hand,  sir,  or  he'll  cut  the  line 
on  our  bow!" 

I  dropped  my  camera  and  jumped  to  the  wheel 
which  the  Captain  was  whirling  frantically  to  port. 
Bracing  ourselves,  we  held  it  hard  over  and  the  ves- 
sel responded  almost  instantly,  relieving  the  strain 


The  finback  whale  reaches  a  length  of  about  seventy-five  feet. 
The  left  side  of  the  throat  is  dark  slate  while  the  right  side 
is  pure  white. 


on  the  rope,  which  was  sawing  back  and  forth  across 
the  bow. 

The  whale  now  began  a  series  of  dashes  and  deep 
sounds  which  dragged  the  lines  from  the  winch  in 
spite  of  both  brakes  and  kept  the  little  vessel  dodging 

163 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

from  side  to  side  to  avoid  his  blind  rushes.  For  an 
hour  and  a  half  the  magnificent  animal  carried  on  the 
fight,  although  slowly  becoming  weaker  and  weaker 
from  exhaustion  and  the  loss  of  blood.  Finally  he 
lay  almost  motionless  on  the  surface  about  fifty  fath- 
oms away,  blowing  frequently,  great  patches  of  blood 
staining  the  foam  about  his  beautiful  gray  body. 

After  waiting  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  the  Cap- 
tain ordered  a  boat  lowered  and  Sorenson,  with  two 
sailors,  rowed  out  to  finish  the  whale  with  the  long 
killing  lance.  I  had  climbed  to  the  barrel  at  the  mast- 
head, glass  and  camera  slung  at  my  side,  and  was 
watching  the  little  pram  as  it  neared  the  dying  finback. 
After  circling  around  the  animal  the  boat  was  slowly 
backed  toward  it,  the  Gunner  standing  erect  in  the 
stern  with  lance  ready,  awaiting  his  opportunity. 
Suddenly  he  leaned  forward  and  thrust  the  steel  with 
all  his  strength  deep  into  the  whale's  side.  At  the 
same  instant  the  boat  was  pulled  away,  and  the  beast 
sank  in  a  mass  of  red  foam.  A  few  seconds  later  he 
reappeared,  sending  from  the  blowhole  a  thin  stream 
of  blood  which  floated  off  on  the  wind. 

Again  and  again  Sorenson  lanced  him,  each  time 
remaining  a  little  longer  and  jabbing  the  lance  deeper 
into  his  body.  At  last  the  gallant  animal  threw  his 
fin  into  the  air,  rolled  on  his  side,  and  sank,  the  taut 
lines  proclaiming  that  the  fight  was  ended. 

I  had  hardly  climbed  down  the  rope  ladder  to  the 
deck  when  Sorenson's  face,  flecked  with  blood  and 
streaming  with  perspiration,  appeared  over  the  side. 
Laying  the  long  lance  on  deck,  he  said : 

164 


"I  had  climbed  to  the  barrel  at  the  masthead  .  .  .  and  was  watch- 
ing the  little  pram  as  it  neared  the  dying  finback.  After 
circling  around  the  animal  the  boat  was  slowly  backed 
toward  it,  the  Gunner  standing  erect  in  the  stern  with  lance 
ready,  awaiting  his  opportunity.  Suddenly  he  leaned  forward 
and  thrust  the  steel  with  all  his  strength  deep  into  the  whale's 
side." 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

"That  was  the  toughest  whale  I  ever  killed.  Not 
many  fight  like  that." 

I  was  surprised  to  find,  on  looking  at  my  watch, 
that  it  was  already  nine  o'clock,  the  struggle  having 
lasted  nearly  four  hours.  The  excitement  of  the  day 


Marked  with  a  flag  and  left  to  float  until  the  end  of  the  day's 

hunt. 


had  been  intense  and  I  was  too  tired  to  remain  on 
deck  while  the  big  finback  was  made  fast  to  the  bow, 
and  the  floating  whale  picked  up.  Saying  good  night 
to  Captain  Grahame,  I  went  below,  climbed  into  the 
narrow  bunk  in  the  little  cabin,  and  was  asleep  even 
before  the  noise  above  had  ceased. 

The  night  was  anything  but  a  dreamless  one  to  me 
166 


THE  GREYHOUND  OF  THE  SEA 

and  in  the  morning  when  I  heard  the  sudden  roar  of 
the  harpoon-gun  and  felt  the  vessel  tremble  under  the 
shock  I  started  up  hardly  knowing  whether  I  was 
awake  or  not.  But  the  rattling  winch  and  the  thump- 
ing of  the  line  made  certain  that  it  was  no  dream. 


The  whale  is  made  fast  to  the  bow  by  a  heavy  chain  and  the  ship 
starts  on  the  long  tow  to  the  station. 

Catching  up  camera  and  plate  holders,  I  scrambled 
through  the  companionway,  forgetting  in  my  haste 
that  I  was  without  coat  or  shoes.  Sure  enough,  we 
were  fast  to  a  humpback  which  was  visible  about  one 
hundred  fathoms  away,  swimming  high  out  of  water 
and  blowing  frequently.  When  I  reached  the  bridge, 
the  Mate,  who  was  at  the  wheel,  said : 

167 


'WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

"Yes,  he  came  up  suddenly  right  under  the  bow; 
but  you'll  have  plenty  of  chances  today  if  the  wind 
keeps  down.  Look  at  those  birds;  there  must  be 
lots  of  feed." 

I  was  shivering  in  the  raw  morning  air  and  ran 
back  to  the  cabin  to  get  into  a  coat  and  shoes.  I 
found  Captain  Grahame  about  to  come  on  deck.  He 
laughed  when  he  saw  my  scanty  dress,  saying: 

"You  camera  fellows  would  rather  run  the  risk  of 
catching  your  death  of  cold  than  miss  a  picture, 
wouldn't  you!" 

I  assured  him,  through  chattering  teeth,  that  pneu- 
monia had  no  terrors  when  whales  were  in  sight,  but 
made  haste  to  pull  on  my  heavy  varsity  sweater  and 
high  boots.  Sorenson  was  leisurely  reloading  the  gun 
when  I  went  forward  and  the  humpback,  blowing 
every  few  seconds,  could  be  seen  far  ahead. 

When  the  bomb  had  been  filled  with  powder  and  the 
*fuse  string  adjusted,  the  Engineer  started  the  winch 
and  the  line  was  reeled  slowly  in.  The  animal  resisted 
in  a  half-hearted  way  at  first,  but  soon  gave  up  and 
was  drawn  close  to  the  ship.  I  stood  just  back  of  the 
harpoon  platform,  with  camera  focused,  waiting  to 
see  Sorenson  whirl  the  gun  about  for  the  second 
shot,  but  instead  of  doing  so  he  called  for  the  lance 
and  made  ready  to  kill  the  whale  from  the  bow. 

Leaning  far  out  over  the  side,  the  Gunner  watched 
his  opportunity  and  plunged  the  slender  rod  of  steel 
deep  into  the  lungs,  stabbing  again  and  again  with  all 
his  strength.  The  animal  gave  a  hoarse,  coughing 
blow  and  tried  to  dive,  the  blood  welling  in  great  red 

168 


THE  GREYHOUND  OF  THE  SEA 

bubbles  from  his  spout  holes.  It  was  a  pitiful  sight 
as  the  poor  brute  fought  gamely  for  life  with  the  odds 
all  against  him,  and  I  turned  away  with  a  sigh  of 
relief  when  he  rolled  over  and  sank  to  the  bottom. 

While  the  whale  was  being  lifted  to  the  surface  and 
inflated,  I  breakfasted  with  the  Captain  in  the  little 
galley,  doing  justice  to  Billy's  excellent  porridge  and 
coffee.  In  half  an  hour  we  went  to  the  bridge  to  re- 
lieve the  mate,  and  found  the  vessel  headed  to  the 
eastward  where  a  number  of  spouts  were  just  visible 
far  over  toward  the  shore.  With  the  glasses  we  could 
see  that  they  were  finbacks,  and  the  thin  columns  of 
vapor  shooting  up  every  few  seconds  indicated  that 
the  animals  must  be  feeding. 

The  success  of  the  morning  and  the  prospects  of 
a  good  day's  hunting  had  put  every  man  on  board  in 
the  best  of  humor.  Captain  Grahame  paced  back  and 
forth  beside  me,  telling  of  his  experiences  while  cruis- 
ing in  Australian  waters  and  describing  wild  nights  at 
sea  as  only  a  deep-water  sailor  can,  meanwhile  watch- 
ing the  whales  ahead. 

In  half  an  hour  we  were  near  them,  and  the  vessel 
was  swung  toward  two  finbacks  which  were  separated 
from  the  rest  of  the  school  and  were  swimming  side 
by  side.  As  they  dived  we  could  see  that  one  was 
very  small,  a  calf ;  the  larger  was  probably  its  mother. 

The  engines  were  at  dead  slow  and  the  little  steamer 
slipped  quietly  through  the  water  in  a  long  circle  about 
the  "slick"  where  the  whales  went  down.  In  a  low 
voice  Captain  Grahame  called  to  the  Gunner,  telling 
him  to  shoot  the  big  one  first,  and  at  almost  the  same 

169 


THE  GREYHOUND  OF  THE  SEA 

instant  I  saw  the  telltale  patch  of  smooth  water  just 
in  front  of  the  bow. 

I  shouted  to  Sorenson  and  jumped  to  the  starboard 
side  where,  by  leaning  far  out,  I  could  see  the  swirling 
green  spot  in  the  mirror  of  my  camera.  With  a  rush 


Bringing  in  a  finback.    The  harpoon  rope  is  being  cut  from  the 
iron  in  the  whale. 


the  mother  whale  came  to  the  surface,  followed  a 
second  later  by  her  calf.  Sorenson  hesitated,  swung 
the  gun  a  little  to  one  side  and  fired.  The  great  cloud 
of  smoke  blown  backward  in  our  faces  shut  out  the 
water  ahead,  but  in  a  few  moments  it  lifted  and  I  was 
surprised  to  see  the  whale  lying  on  its  side  at  the 
surface,  apparently  dead.  It  was  the  first  time  I  had 

171 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

ever  seen  a  finback  float,  although  I  had  been  told  that 
occasionally  they  did  not  sink  when  killed. 

While  the  animal  was  being  secured  and  the  air 
pump  started,  I  climbed  to  the  barrel  to  watch  the 
movements  of  the  calf.  The  little  fellow  refused  to 


A  finback  lying  in  the  water  at  Aikawa  just  before  it  is  "cut  in.'' 

leave  his  dead  mother  and  circled  around  and  around 
the  boat  within  easy  gunshot.  Although  he  was  swim- 
ming low  in  the  water,  showing  only  a  small  part  of 
his  back  above  the  surface,  I  exposed  a  plate  each  time 
he  came  near,  until  the  stock  of  negatives  had  been 
exhausted. 

In  a  short  time  Sorenson  had  the  gun  reloaded  and 
172 


THE  GREYHOUND  OF  THE  SEA 

stood  ready  for  a  shot  at  the  calf  when  next  he  came 
within  range.  From  the  masthead  I  could  look  far 
down  into  the  clear  water  and  once  saw  the  little  fin- 
back rising  almost  under  the  vessel.  I  shouted  a  warn- 
ing to  the  men  below  and  as  he  reached  the  surface  the 


Drawing  up  a  finback  at  Aikawa,  Japan. 

harpoon  crashed  into  his  side,  going  almost  through 
him. 

When  I  had  descended  to  the  deck  and  stood  beside 
Captain  Grahame  on  the  bridge  his  face  was  beaming 
with  smiles.  Pulling  out  his  watch,  he  said : 

"It's  only  ten  o'clock  and  I  think  we  will  tow  these 
three  in.  The  rest  of  the  bunch  are  scattered  now, 
but  maybe  they  will  come  together  this  afternoon, 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

and  we  can  get  back  in  time  for  the  evening  hunting." 
In  half  an  hour  all  the  whales  had  been  made  fast 
to  the  bow  and  the  engines  were  throbbing  monoton- 
ously as  the  sturdy  little  vessel  plowed  her  way  through 
the  water  toward  the  station,  leaving  a  long  black 
trail  across  the  blue  sky  behind. 


CHAPTER  XIV 
SHIPS  ATTACKED  BY  WHALES 

AFTER   I   left  Alaska  the  Tyee   Company  put 
into  service  a  wooden   whale  ship  called  the 
Sorenson,  which  in  1910  was  sunk  by  a  .fin- 
back.    The  animal  had  been  struck  by  one  iron  and, 
suddenly  going  into  its  death  flurry,  began  charging 
madly  in  every  direction. 


The  long  slender  body  of  a  finback  lying  on  its  side;  the  outer 
edges  of  the  whalebone  plates  in  the  mouth  are  well  shown. 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

In  one  of  its  wild  dashes  the  sixty-ton  whale,  com- 
ing at  a  speed  of  probably  twenty-five  knots  per  hour, 
drove  straight  into  the  ship,  crushing  her  side  like  an 
eggshell  and  tearing  her  almost  apart.  The  vessel 
filled  so  rapidly  that  the  crew  were  hardly  able  to  get 
a  small  boat  over  before  she  went  down.  Later  the 
men  were  all  rescued. 

J.  G.  Millais,  Esq.,  says  of  the  finback: 

Space  will  not  allow  me  to  give  any  of  the  numerous 
stories  of  the  exciting  hunts  to  which  one  listens  in  the 
galley  and  the  cabin  of  the  Atlantic  Finwhalers,  but  they 
prove  that  the  chase  of  this  great  Whale  calls  for  the  stern- 
est courage  and  readiest  resource. 

To  stand  up  in  a  tiny  "pram"  amidst  a  whirl  of  waters 
and  lance  a  fighting  Finback  is  no  child's  play,  and  requires 
that  six-o'clock-in-the-morning  pluck  that  the  Norsemen 
possess  in  a  high  degree.  Many  accidents  have  occurred  to 
the  .boat  crews  when  engaged  in  "lancing,"  and  one  or  two 
to  the  steamers  themselves. 

The  whaler  Gracia,  belonging  to  Vadso,  was  sunk  by  a 
Finner  in  1894  in  the  Varanger  Fjord.  In  1896  the  Jarfjord 
was  sunk  in  ten  minutes  by  one  of  these  Whales  charging 
it,  when  about  sixty  miles  north  of  the  North  Cape.  A  heavy 
sea  was  running  at  the  time,  and  the  crew  crowded  into 
two  small  prams,  which  would  probably  have  been  over- 
whelmed had  not  Captain  Castberg,  hunting  in  another 
steamer,  come  to  their  rescue.1 

Without  doubt  practically  all  ships  which  have  been 
injured  or  sunk  by  whales  have  been  struck  by  acci- 
dent. Just  before  a  whale  dies  it  goes  into  what  is 

"The  Mammals  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland."  By  J.  G. 
Millais.  Longmans,  Green,  &  Co.,  p.  271. 

176 


SHIPS  ATTACKED  BY  WHALES 

called  the  death  flurry  and  dashes  wildly  about  in 
every  direction.  If  a  ship  or  boat  happens  to  be  near 
it  stands  an  excellent  chance  of  being  rammed,  for 
the  animal  is  utterly  blind  in  its  rushes. 

The  sperm  is  an  exception  to  the  rule  of  purely  ac- 
cidental attacks,  however,  for  there  are  many  well 
authenticated  instances  of  whales  of  this  species,  wliile 

~~ T--V --—I- ;; 


The  spout  of  a  finback  whale.     The  column  of  vapor  rises  to  a 
height  of  about  twenty  feet. 

only  slightly  wounded  and  not  in  the  death  flurry, 
deliberately  sinking  boats  and  even  three-hundred-  or 
four-hundred-ton  vessels. 

Almost  every  deep-sea  whaleman  has  stories  to  tell 
of  "rogue"  sperms,  which  are  usually  old  bulls  that 
have  sought  a  solitary  life  either  from  choice  or  ostra- 
cism from  the  main  herd.  Such  animals  are  often  vi- 

177 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

cious  and  sometimes  turn  furiously  upon  the  boats 
when  struck  with  an  iron. 

The  "devilfish,"  or  California  gray  whale,  had  a 
bad  reputation  among  the  whalers  of  fifty  years  ago, 
for  when  attacked  upon  its  breeding  grounds  it  is  said 
to  have  fought  fiercely  for  the  protection  of  its  young. 
Under  such  circumstances  its  actions  would  undoubt- 
edly be  very  different  from  what  I  have  observed  when 
gray  whales  were  killed  near  Korea,  where  we  had  no 
more  trouble  than  with  other  species. 

At  sea  it  is  often  impossible  to  distinguish  the  blue 
and  finback  whales  by  the  way  they  blow.  The  col- 
umns of  vapor  are  much  alike  under  ordinary  cir- 
cumstances, except  that  the  spout  of  the  blue  whale  is 
usually  somewhat  higher  than  is  the  finback's.  How- 
ever, much  depends  upon  the  size  of  the  animal,  since 
a  large  finback  will  often  blow  as  strongly  as  a  small 
blue  whale.  But  if  not  far  away  the  blue  whale  may 
be  easily  known  by  the  light  gray-blue  color  of  its 
body,  for  it  contrasts  strongly  with  the  dark  slate 
upper  parts  of  the  finback  which,  when  dripping  with 
water,  often  look  almost  purplish.  The  Norwegian 
name  blahval  was  given  to  the  greatest  of  all  living 
creatures  because  of  the  distinctly  bluish  color  of  its 
body.  The  Newfoundland  and  American  whalemen 
call  the  animal  "sulphur-bottom,"  a  most  inappropriate 
name,  for  there  is  no  suggestion  of  yellow  on  its  body. 
The  Japanese  know  it  as  shiro-nagasu  (the  white 
finback). 

The  diving  movements  of  the  two  species  are  also 
similar  except  that  in  rare  instances  a  blue  whale  will 

178 


SHIPS  ATTACKED  BY  WHALES 

draw  out  its  flukes  when  sounding,  while  a  finback 
never  does.  Each  one  ascends  obliquely,  delivering  the 
spout  as  soon  as  its  head  appears  at  the  surface,  and 
each  slowly  revolves,  lifting  its  body  high  out  of  the 
water  as  it  goes  down.  But  the  finback  is  more  regu- 


A  finback  whale  "sounding"  or  taking  the  "big  dive." 

lar  in  its  movements  when  traveling  than  is  its  larger 
relative.  Then  it  will  swim  as  straight  as  an  arrow, 
not  varying  a  quarter  of  a  point  from  its  course,  and 
blow  at  regular  intervals. 

The  blue  whale,  even  when  not  frightened,  spouts 
very  irregularly.  Under  ordinary  circumstances  it 
will  blow  from  eight  to  fifteen  times  at  a  rising  and 
always  with  a  tremendous  noise.  The  sound  is  a  me- 

179 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

tallic,  whistling  roar  which  can  be  heard  at  a  distance 
of  three  or  four  miles  if  there  is  a  fog  or  the  sea  is 
calm.  I  always  have  a  feeling  of  admiration  when 
watching  either  a  blue  or  finback  whale,  for  the  mag- 
nificent brutes  move  in  a  slow  and  dignified  way  as 


When  sounding  the  finback  sinks  lower  and  lower  until  the  dorsal 
fin  disappears;  this  is  the  last  part  of  the  body  to  leave  the 
surface.  This  species  never  draws  out  the  flukes  as  do  the 
humpback,  sperm  and  right  whales. 

though  conscious  that  they  are  the  largest  and  most 
imposing  animals  of  ancient  or  modern  times. 

As  a  supplement  to  my  own  experiences  while  hunt- 
ing finbacks  in  Alaska,  I  have  taken  the  liberty  of 
quoting  a  portion  of  J.  G.  Millais'  description  of  kill- 
ing a  whale  of  this  species  off  the  Shetland  coast,  for 
it  shows  most  admirably  what  real  excitement  one  can 
have  even  in  modern  whaling: 

180 


SHIPS  ATTACKED  BY  WHALES 

At  7:30  it  was  bitterly  cold,  when  Captain  Stokken  again 
stood  beside  the  gun,  and  we  were  in  full  pursuit  of  a  large 
female  Finback  that  seemed  tamer  than  the  rest.  Eventu- 
ally, in  its  final  "roll,"  the  Whale  raised  itself  about  ten 
yards  from  the  gun,  and  the  whaler  tipping  the  muzzle  down- 
wards, fired  and  struck  the  quarry  under  the  backbone. 

At  first  the  Finback  was  rather  quiet,  and  then  it  began 
to  run,  the  strong  line  rushing  out  at  a  speed  of  about  fif- 
teen knots.  When  some  two  miles  of  rope  had  gone  over 
the  bow  I  turned  to  Captain  Stokken  and  said,  "How  much 
line  have  you  got?" 

"About  three  mile,"  was  the  curt  reply. 

"But  when  that  three  mile  goes,  what  then?" 

"Oh,  well,"  was  the  imperturbable  answer,  "then  I  check 
line,  and  we  see  which  is  strongest,  Whale  or  rope.  Per- 
haps harpoon  draws  out." 

In  the  course  of  a  minute  the  Captain  gave  the  order 
to  check  the  line.  The  strain  now  became  terrific,  the 
two-inch  rope  straining  and  groaning  as  if  it  would  burst. 
At  the  same  moment  the  little  steamer  leaped  forward  and 
raced  over  the  seas  at  about  twelve  miles  an  hour.  There 
was  a  feeling  of  intense  exhilaration  as  we  rushed  north- 
wards, the  spray  flying  from  our  bows  as  the  ship  leaped 
from  crest  to  crest  in  the  heavy  swell. 

I  have  enjoyed  the  rushes  of  gallant  thirty-  and  even 
forty-pound  salmon  in  heavy  water  on  the  Tay — the  su- 
preme moments  in  an  angler's  life — but  that  was  mere  child's 
play  to  the  intense  excitement  which  we  experienced  during 
the  next  three  hours.  To  be  in  tow  of  a  wild  Whale  is  some- 
thing to  remember  to  one's  dying  day.  You  feel  that  you 
are  alive  and  that  you  are  there  with  the  sport  of  kings. 
No  wonder  the  Norwegians  are  full  of  life;  the  men,  from 
the  captain  to  the  cook,  run  to  their  several  tasks  with 
eyes  and  hearts  aflame.  This  is  a  calling  which  will  stir  the 
blood  of  the  dullest  clod,  and  to  men  who  are  one  and  all 

181 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

the  finest  seamen  in  the  world  is  the  very  life  and  essence 
of  the  Viking  nature. 

Three  hours  of  this  fierce  race  went  on,  and  the  Whale 
seemed  as  if  it  would  take  us  to  Iceland.  The  gallant  Fin- 
back was  as  fresh  as  ever  when  the  captain  gave  the  order, 
''Quarter  speed  astern."  With  a  tremendous  strain  on  the 
rope  and  the  churning  of  the  backward  driving  screw  our 
speed  was  at  once  reduced  to  ten  knots.  It  was  marvelous, 
the  strength  of  that  animal.  The  minutes  and  even  the 


A  finback  taking  an  "intermediate"  or  '"surface"  dive. 

hours  fled  by,  still  the  great  Cetacean  held  on  its  northward 
course  without  a  check. 

Three  hours  passed;  then  came  the  order  "Half  speed 
astern,"  and  we  were  down  to  six  knots,  the  vessel  and  the 
Whale  still  fighting  the  battle  for  the  mastery. 

In  another  hour  the  Whale  showed  visible  signs  of  weak- 
ening when  "Full  speed  astern"  brought  matters  to  a  stand- 
still. The  machinery  of  man  and  the  natural  strength  of 
the  beast  still  worried  on  for  another  hour,  and  then  we 
saw  the  steamer  moving  backwards,  the  Whale  was  done, 
and  could  pull  no  more.1 

"The    Mammals   of    Great   Britain   and    Ireland."     By   J.    G. 
Millais.    Longmans,  Green,  &  Co.,  pp.  272-273. 

182 


SHIPS  ATTACKED  BY  WHALES 

Although  the  blue  and  finback  whales  of  the  At- 
lantic and  Pacific  have  been  given  different  names,  yet 
there  is  little  doubt  but  that  each  is  represented  in  all 
oceans  by  a  single  cosmopolitan  species. 

Apparently  no  definite  barriers  exist  to  curtail  the 
wanderings  of  the  fin  whales  (Balccnopterintf),  for 
they  seem  to  be  indifferent  alike  to  tropic  or  Arctic 
temperatures  and  travel  where  they  will.  Probably 
the  presence  or  absence  of  the  little  shrimp  which 
forms  their  food  is  one  of  the  greatest  determining 
factors  of  their  movements. 

In  most  oceans  whales  live  under  very  similar  con- 
ditions and  naturalists  are  gradually  coming  to  recog- 
nize that  the  laws  of  geographical  separation  which 
hold  universally  good  for  land  mammals  are  not 
equally  true  in  the  case  of  cetaceans.  In  other  words, 
if  any  group  of  land  mammals  is  separated  from 
others  of  its  kind  by  impassable  barriers  such  as  water, 
mountains,  deserts,  etc.,  it  will  gradually  develop 
changes  in  structure  or  external  appearance  due  to 
differences  of  climate,  food,  or  other  conditions  of 
environment. 

But  this  is  not  true  of  the  fin  whales  for  the  con- 
ditions under  which  they  live  in  the  North  Pacific 
are  very  similar  to  those  in  the  North  Atlantic; 
consequently,  even  if  the  animals  of  the  two  oceans 
never  mingled,  they  could  probably  continue  to  repro- 
duce themselves  without  material  change  for  an  al- 
most indefinite  period.  But  there  is  strong  evidence 
to  show  that  all  the  fin  whales  do  travel  from  one 
ocean  to  another  by  way  of  Capes  Horn  and  Good 

183 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

Hope  and,  since  the  tropic  waters  of  the  Equator  are 
not  an  effective  barrier,  wander  from  the  borders  of 
the  Antarctic  far  up  into  the  North  Pacific  and  At- 
lantic, or  vice  versa. 

The  sperm  whale  is  also  a  cosmopolitan  wanderer, 
but   the   right   whales   apparently   do   not   cross   the 


The  upper  jaw  _of  a  finback  whale,  showing  the  bristles  on  the 
inner  edges  of  the  baleen  plates. 

Equator  which,  as  Lieutenant  Maury  remarks,  acts  to 
them  like  a  "belt  of  fire."  The  bowhead  is  found 
only  in  the  Arctic  regions. 

Strangely  enough,  if  whales  are  driven  away  from 
inland  waters  they  seldom  return,  and  others  will  not 
take  the  places  of  those  which  have  been  killed.  This 

184 


SHIPS  ATTACKED  BY  WHALES 

has  been  demonstrated  on  the  American  west  coast 
to  the  considerable  financial  loss  of  both  the  Tyee 
Company  of  Alaska  and  the  (former)  Pacific  Whal- 
ing Company  of  Victoria,  British  Columbia. 

The  Tyee  Company  erected  a  station  on  the  south- 
ern end  of  Admiralty  Island,  sixty  miles  from  the 
open  sea,  and  although  when  operations  were  first 
begun  finback  and  humpback  whales  were  there  in 
hundreds,  they  were  soon  all  killed  and  the  vessels  had 
to  hunt  "outside." 

The  Pacific  \Yhaling  Company  spent  many  thou- 
sands of  dollars  building  a  station  at  Nannaimo,  on  the 
east  coast  of  Vancouver  Island,  expecting  to  capture  a 
sufficient  number  of  whales  in  the  bay  and  straits  to 
supply,  their  factory.  Their  hopes  were  not  realized, 
however,  for  after  two  or  three  seasons'  work  there 
were  no  more  whales  to  kill  and  the  station  had  to  be 
moved  near  the  open  sea. 

It  seems  to  be  true  that  in  all  parts  of  the  world  the 
blue  and  humpback  whales  first  leave  the  feeding 
grounds  and  that  the  finback  and  sei  whales  will  re- 
main longer  than  any  other,  even  when  persistently 
hunted. 


CHAPTER  XV 

REDISCOVERING  A  SUPPOSEDLY  EXTINCT 
WHALE 

HALF  a  century  ago,  on  the  Pacific  coast  of 
America,  each  year  a  whale  appeared  as 
regularly  as  the  season  itself;  first  in  Decem- 
ber, traveling  steadily  southward  to  the  warm  Cali- 
fornia lagoons,  and  again  in  May  heading  northward 
for  the  ice-filled  waters  of  the  Arctic  Ocean.  It  came 
close  inshore,  nosing  about  among  the  tentacle-like 
ropes  of  kelp  and  sometimes  wallowing  in  the  surf 
which  broke  among  the  rocks. 

The  Siwash  Indians  along  the  coast  awaited  the 
coming  of  this  whale  with  the  same  eagerness  with 
which  the  Egyptians  hail  the  rising  of  the  Nile,  for 
to  them  it  meant  a  time  of  feasting  and  of  "potlatch." 
In  their  frail  dug-out  canoes  they  hung  about  the  kelp 
fields,  sending  harpoon  after  harpoon  into  its  great 
gray  body  as  the  animal  rose  to  breathe,  until  it  fin- 
ally turned  belly  up  and  sank.  It  was  a  matter  of  only 
a  day  or  so  then  before  the  barnacle-studded  carcass, 
distended  with  the  gases  of  decomposition,  floated  to 
the  surface  and  was  towed  to  the  beach  by  the  watch- 
ful natives. 

As  the  years  went  by,  however,  the  whales  became 
more  wary,  fewer  and  fewer  coming  into  the  kelp 

186 


REDISCOVERING  AN  EXTINCT  WHALE 

fields,  until  finally  they  ceased  altogether  and  passed 
up  and  down  the  coast  on  their  annual  migrations  far 
out  at  sea  where  they  were  safe  from  the  deadly  har- 
poons of  the  hunters. 

But  the  whales,  for  all  their  astuteness,  were  not 
free  from  persecution.  During  the  winter,  when  they 
came  into  the  shallow  water  of  the  California  lagoons 
to  bring  forth  their  young,  the  American  whaling 
ships  came  also,  and  the  animals,  held  by  mother  love, 
were  killed  by  hundreds. 

However,  they  were  not  always  slaughtered  with- 
out making  a  fight  to  save  their  babies,  and  because 
they  frequently  wrecked  the  boats  and  killed  the  crews 
they  gained  the  title  of  "devilfish,"  and  as  such  are 
generally  known  throughout  the  Pacific  rather  than 
by  the  more  formal  name  of  California  gray  whale, 
which  was  bestowed  upon  them  in  1868  by  Professor 
Cope. 

The  American  fishery  did  not  last  long  for  continual 
slaughter  on  their  breeding  grounds  soon  so  depleted 
the  numbers  of  the  gray  whales  that  the  hunt  was  no 
longer  profitable,  and  the  shore  stations  which  had 
been  established  at  various  points  along  the  coast  fin- 
ally ceased  operations  altogether.  For  over  twenty 
years  the  species  had  been  lost  to  science  and  natural- 
ists believed  it  to  be  extinct. 

In  1910,  while  in  Japan,  I  learned  from  the  whaling 
company  of  the  existence  of  an  animal  known  as  the 
koku  kitjira,  or  "devilfish,"  which  formed  the  basis  of 
their  winter  fishery  upon  the  southeastern  coast  of 
Korea. 

187 


rt  w 

<L>  O 


ii 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

The  descriptions  indicated  that  the  koku  kujira 
would  prove  to  be  none  other  than  the  lost  California 
gray  whale,  and  I  determined  to  investigate  it  at  the 
earliest  opportunity.  Consequently  during  the  winter 
of  1911-12,  I  returned  to  the  Orient  and  spent  the 
months  of  January  and  February  at  the  station  of 


The  whaling  station  at  Ulsan,  Korea. 

the  Toyo  Hogei  Kaisha  at  Ulsan,  a  small  village  on 
the  southeastern  coast  of  Korea. 

I  shall  never  forget  my  introduction  to  Korea  by 
way  of  the  Japan  Sea.  We  left  Hakata  on  the  night 
of  January  4,  in  a  little  transport  chartered  by  the 
whaling  company  to  carry  meat  and  blubber  to  the 
markets.  The  vessel  had  a  tiny,  very  dirty  cabin  aft, 

190 


REDISCOVERING  AN  EXTINCT  WHALE 

just  large  enough  for  three  persons,  into  which  five 
Japanese  and  myself  were  packed.  It  was  bitterly 
cold  outside  and  such  a  tremendous  sea  was  running 
that  the  cabin  deck  was  flooded  every  few  moments, 
keeping  us  wet  to  the  skin.  After  a  twenty- three- 


"At  the  port  bow  hung  the  dark  flukes  of  a  whale,  the  sight  of 
which  made  me  breathe  hard  with  excitement." 


hour  trip,  late  in  the  afternoon  we  ran  up  the  bay 
which  cuts  deeply  into  the  peninsula  of  Korea  forty 
miles  north  of  Fusan. 

As  we  pulled  up  to  the  long  wharf  at  the  whaling 
station  I  could  see  numbers  of  white-robed  figures 
running  about  like  goats  on  the  hills  behind  the  houses 
or  standing  in  limp,  silent  groups  gazing  in  my  direc- 

191 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

tion.  The  audience,  however,  regarded  me  with  no 
greater  curiosity  than  I  looked  at  them,  for  the  Ko- 
rean is  at  all  times  peculiar  in  appearance  and  es- 
pecially so  when  in  full  dress. 

He  wears  a  long  white  coat  with  flaring  skirts, 
enormous  baggy  trousers  gathered  at  the  ankle  with 
a  green  or  purple  band,  and  atop  his  head  is  perched 
a  ridiculous  little  hat  made  of  horsehair  with  a  sugar- 
loaf  crown  and  a  straight  brim.  The  hat  must  be  tied 
under  his  chin  to  keep  it  in  place,  but  at  times  it  slips 
over  one  ear  and  gives  its  wearer  a  singular  resem- 
blance to  "Happy  Hooligan."  His  hair  is  gathered  in 
a  knot  on  the  top  of  his  head,  and  the  few  straggling 
wisps  of  mustache  or  beard  which  he  manages  to 
grow  are  as  carefully  tended  as  a  rare  flower.  He  is 
never  seen  without  his  long-stemmed  pipe,  and  a  to- 
bacco pouch  always  dangles  at  his  belt. 

The  natives  of  Ulsan  appeared  to  derive  never  end- 
ing amusement  from  me  and  my  work.  They  were 
living  an  utterly  lazy,  aimless  life  and  although  they 
never  seemed  to  know  where  the  next  meal  was  com- 
ing from  they  looked  content  and  well  enough  fed. 
Numbers  were  always  hanging  about  the  station  wait- 
ing to  pick  up  any  scraps  of  whale  meat  left  by  the 
cutters,  and  all  day  long  the  children,  each  with  a  little 
basket,  poked  about  among  the  cracks  in  the  wharf, 
now  and  then  gleaning  a  handful  of  flesh  and  blubber, 
which  would  help  to  keep  life  within  their  bodies. 

After  I  had  secured  the  skeleton  of  a  gray  whale 
and  had  piled  the  bones,  partially  cleaned,  in  the  sta- 
tion yard,  the  Koreans  descended  upon  them  like  a 

192 


REDISCOVERING  AN  EXTINCT  WHALE 

flock  of  vultures.  \Yith  a  knife  or  a  bit  of  stone  they 
scraped  each  bone,  cleaning  it  of  every  ounce  of  meat. 
At  first  this  seemed  to  me  a  splendid  arrangement,  but 
suddenly  I  discovered  that  some  of  the  smaller  bones 
themselves  were  disappearing  and  realized  that  my 
' 


Cutting  in  a  gray  whale.  The  head  is  lying  on  the  wharf  and 
two  Koreans  are  standing  beside  it.  They  wear  long  white 
coats,  enormous  baggy  trousers  and  a  horsehair  hat. 

skeleton  was  slowly  but  surely  being  boiled  for  soup. 
It  did  not  take  long  to  issue  an  edict  against  all 
Koreans  in  reference  to  my  whale,  but  the  matter 
did  not  end  there.  The  pile  of  toothsome  bones  was 
too  great  a  temptation  and  whenever  I  happened  to 
be  out  of  sight  some  white-gowned  native  was  sure 
to  steal  up  and  leave  with  a  bone  under  his  coat. 

193 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

I  finally  discovered  a  very  effective,  and  I  think 
highly  original,  way  to  stop  the  stealing.  In  my  equip- 
ment there  was  a  22-caliber  rifle  and  several  hundred 
B.  B.  caps,  the  bullets  from  which  would  just  about 
penetrate  the  thick,  wadded  trousers  of  a  Korean. 


"When  the  winch  began  slowly  to  lift  the  huge  black  body  out 
of  the  water,  a  very  short  examination  told  me  that  the  koku 
kujira  really  was  the  long-lost  gray  whale." 

I  made  a  hole  in  the  shojo,  the  paper  screen  of  the 
Japanese  house  where  I  was  living,  and  sat  down  to 
watch.  In  a  short  time  a  Korean  stole  up  to  the  pile 
of  bones  and  bent  over  to  pick  out  one  which  he  could 
carry.  I  drew  a  fine  bead  on  the  lower  portion  of  his 
anatomy  and  when  the  rifle  cracked  the  native  made  a 

194 


REDISCOVERING  AN  EXTINCT  WHALE 

jump  which  would  have  brought  him  fame  and  for- 
tune could  it  have  been  duplicated  at  the  New  York 
Hippodrome.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  say  that  he 
dropped  the  bone.  In  a  very  short  time  every  Korean 
in  the  village  knew  that  a  visit  to  that  skeleton  gen- 
erally entailed  difficulty  in  sitting  down  for  several 
days  afterward  and  the  whale  was  left  unmolested. 

On  the  day  of  my  arrival  at  Ulsan  the  four  whaling 
ships  which  hunted  from  the  station  were  all  lying  in 
the  harbor,  for  the  gale  had  made  cruising  outside  im- 
possible. As  soon  as  we  landed  I  met  my  friend, 
Captain  H.  G.  Melsom  of  the  S.  S.  Main,  one  of  the 
best  gunners  who  has  ever  hunted  in  the  East.  Cap- 
tain Melsom  was  the  first  man  to  learn  how  to  take 
the  devilfish  in  Korean  waters,  because  for  many  years 
the  habit  of  the  animals  of  keeping  close  inshore 
among  the  rocks  baffled  the  whalers.  He  learned  how 
to  trick  the  clever  whales  and  hang  about  just  outside 
the  breakers  ready  for  a  shot  wrhen  they  rose  to  blow. 
From  Captain  Melsom  I  learned  much  of  the  devilfish 
lore  and  many  evenings  on  his  ship,  the  Main,  did  I 
listen  to  his  stories  of  wrhales  and  their  ways. 

I  shall  never  forget  the  intense  interest  with  which 
I  waited  for  my  first  sight  of  a  gray  whale.  On  the 
next  day  after  my  arrival  at  Ulsan  I  had  started 
across  the  bay  in  a  sampan  to  have  a  look  at  the 
village  with  Mr.  Matsumoto,  the  station  paymaster. 
We  had  hardly  left  the  shore,  when  the  siren  whistle 
of  a  whale  ship  sounded  far  down  the  bay  and  soon 
the  vessel  swept  around  the  point  into  view.  At 
the  port  bow  hung  the  dark  flukes  of  a  whale,  the 

195 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

sight  of  which  made  me  breathe  hard  with  excitement, 
for  one  of  two  things  must  happen — either  I  was  to 
find  that  here  was  an  entirely  new  species,  or  else  was 
to  rediscover  one  which  had  been  lost  to  science  for 
thirty  years.  Either  prospect  was  alluring  enough 
and  as  the  vessel  slowly  swung  in  toward  the  wharf 
and  a  pair  of  great  flukes,  the  like  of  which  I  had 
never  seen  before,  waved  in  front  of  me,  I  realized 
that  here  at  last  was  what  I  had  come  half  around  the 
world  to  see. 

When  the  winch  began  slowly  to  lift  the  huge  black 
body  out  of  the  water,  a  very  short  examination  told 
me  that  the  koku  knjira  really  was  the  long-lost  gray 
whale  and  not  a  species  new  to  science.  But  it  was  not 
the  gray  whale  of  Scammon's  description,  for  this 
white-circled,  gray-washed  body  was  very  little  like 
the  figure  he  had  published  in  his  book,  "The  Marine 
Mammalia." 

Many  new  things  were  learned  during  the  succeed- 
ing months  of  studying  this  strange  animal,  but  chief 
among  them  were  the  facts  that  the  gray  whale  differs 
so  strongly  from  all  others  that  it  must  be  placed  in  a 
family  of  its  own;  also  that  it  is  the  most  primitive 
of  all  existing  large  cetaceans  and  is  virtually  a  living 
fossil. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

HOW   KILLERS   TEAR  OUT  A    GRAY   WHALE'S 
TONGUE 

THE   gray   whales,    as   well   as   other   large   ce- 
taceans, have  only  two  enemies — man  and  one 
of  their  own  kind,  the  orca  or  killer  whale. 
Although  twice  the  size  of  the  killers  and  correspond- 
ingly strong,  when  one  of  the  orcas  appears  the  devil- 
fish become  terrified  and  either  wildly  dash  for  shore 
or  turn  belly  up  at  the  surface,  with  fins  outspread, 
paralyzed  by  fright. 

A  few  days  after  my  arrival  at  Ulsan,  three  gray 
whales  were  brought  to  the  station,  one  of  which  had 
half  the  tongue  torn  away;  teeth  marks  clearly  showed 
in  the  remaining  portion  and  Captain  Hurum,  who 
had  killed  the  animals,  told  me  that  it  was  the  work  of 
killers. 

There  were  seven  gray  whales  in  the  school,  he  said, 
and  shortly  after  he  began  to  hunt  them  fifteen  killers 
appeared.  The  whales  became  terrified  at  once  and 
he  had  no  difficulty  in  killing  three  of  the  seven. 
When  the  orcas  gathered  the  wrhales  turned  belly  up 
and  made  not  the  slightest  attempt  to  get  away. 
A  killer  wrould  put  its  snout  against  the  closed  lips 
of  the  devilfish  and  endeavor  to  force  the  mouth  open 
and  its  own  head  inside.  This  extraordinary  method 
of  attack  was  corroborated  by  Captain  Johnson,  who 

197 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

had  been  hunting  the  same  school  of  gray  whales,  and, 
moreover,  by  all  the  whalemen  at  the  station,  who  had 
witnessed  it  upon  many  other  occasions. 

Of  thirty-five  gray  whales  which  I  examined  espe- 


Cutting  through  the  body  of  a  gray  whale.     The  thick  layer  of 
blubber  surrounding  the  red  meat  is  well  shown. 

cially,  seven  had  the  tongues  eaten  to  a  greater  or  less 
extent  and  one  had  several  large,  semicircular  bites 
in  the  left  lower  lip.  The  killers  do  not  confine  their 
attention  entirely  to  the  tongue  for  almost  every  whale 
which  was  brought  in  had  the  tips  and  posterior  edges 


A  WHALE'S  TONGUE 

of  the  fins  and  flukes  more  or  less  torn;  in  several 
specimens  fresh  teeth  marks  were  plainly  visible  where 
the  fin  had  been  shredded  as  the  whale  drew  it  out  of 
the  orca's  mouth. 

Although  none  of  the  gray  whales  exhibited  teeth 
marks  on  other  parts  of  the  body,  undoubtedly  some 
of  them  are  killed  by  the  orcas.  A  female  killer 
which  was  brought  in  had  several  pieces  of  flesh  in  its 
stomach,  besides  a  strip  of  whalebone  three  inches 
long.  I  could  not  positively  identify  the  latter  but 
believe  it  to  have  been  from  a  small  devilfish.  A  male 
killer  was  taken  at  the  same  time  by  Captain  Hurum, 
who  told  me  that  in  the  animal's  death  flurry  it  had 
thrown  up  two  great  chunks  of  flesh. 

Captain  Melsom  brought  a  gray  whale  to  the  sta- 
tion one  day  and  I  found  that  the  tongue  was  almost 
gone.  He  said  he  had  passed  a  school  of  killers  in  the 
morning  and  later,  after  steaming  about  fifteen  miles, 
had  killed  the  devilfish.  A  short  time  afterward,  a 
long  distance  away,  he  saw  the  fins  of  a  school  of 
killers  which  were  coming  at  full  speed  straight  for 
the  ship.  They  circled  about  the  vessel  and  one  of 
them  forced  open  the  mouth  of  the  dead  whale  to  get 
at  the  tongue.  Captain  Melsom  fired  at  the  killer  with 
his  Krag  rifle  and  when  struck  the  animal  lashed  out 
wTith  its  flukes,  smashing  the  ship's  rail,  and  then  dis- 
appeared. 

As  soon  as  orcas  appear,  if  the  gray  whales  are 
not  paralyzed  by  fright,  they  head  for  shore  and  slide 
in  as  close  as  possible  to  the  beach  where  sometimes 
the  killers  will  not  follow  them.  The  devilfish  will 

199 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

actually  get  into  such  shallow  water  as  to  roll  in  the 
wash  and  will  even  try  to  hide  behind  rocks.  The 
orcas  are  not  afraid  of  ships  and  will  not  leave  the 
whales  they  are  chasing  when  the  vessels  arrive,  thus 
giving  much  assistance  to  the  human  hunters. 


The  posterior  part  of  a  gray  whale.     Note  the  scalloped  dorsal 
ridge  of  the  peduncle  and  the  white  markings  along  the  sides. 

Captain  Johnson,  of  the  Rex  Maru,  brought  to  the 
station  at  Ulsan  a  gray  whale  which  had  been  shot  in 
the  breast  between  the  fins.  He  had  first  seen  killers 
circling  about  the  whale  which  was  lying  at  the  sur- 
face, belly  up,  with  the  fins  outspread.  The  animal 
was  absolutely  paralyzed  by  fright.  The  vessel 
steamed  up  at  half  speed  and  Johnson  shot  at  once,  the 

200 


A  WHALE'S  TONGUE 

iron  striking  the  whale  squarely  between  the  flippers. 

The  gray  whales  live  in  such  constant  terror  that 
when  porpoises  are  playing  about  a  single  animal,  as 
frequently  happens,  it  will  sometimes  become  terrified 
and  dash  madly  for  the  shore,  thinking  that  the  killers 
have  appeared. 

I  have  never  personally  witnessed  it,  but  the  gun- 
ners tell  me  that  a  pod  of  gray  whales  can  be  stam- 
peded much  like  a  herd  of  cattle.  If  three  or  four 
ships  are  near  each  other  when  a  school  of  devilfish 
are  found,  they  draw  together,  each  vessel  going  at 
full  speed,  while  the  sailors  beat  tin  pans  and  make 
as  much  noise  as  possible.  The  whales  at  once  dive, 
but  as  soon  as  they  rise  to  spout  the  vessels  rush  at 
them  again.  The  devilfish  go  down  once  more  but  do 
not  stay  under  long,  ascending  at  shorter  and  shorter 
intervals  until  finally  they  are  plowing  along  at  the 
surface. 

The  animals  are  "scared  up,"  as  the  gunners  say, 
and  become  terrified  to  such  a  degree  that  everything 
is  forgotten  except  the  desire  to  get  away — and  even 
the  means  of  doing  that.  It  is  not  always  possible  to 
stampede  a  herd,  for  often  the  whales  will  disappear  at 
the  first  sound  and  not  rise  again  until  a  long  distance 
away.  If  killers  are  about,  it  is  very  easy  for  the  ships 
to  stampede  a  herd  of  gray  whales. 

Even  if  the  devilfish  do  exhibit  considerable  stu- 
pidity when  danger  from  orcas  threatens,  at  other 
times  they  are  the  cleverest  and  most  tricky  of  all  large 
whales.  One  day  Captain  Melsom,  on  the  S.  S.  Main, 
was  hunting  a  gray  whale  in  a  perfectly  smooth  sea. 

201 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

The  animal  had  been  down  for  fifteen  minutes  when 
suddenly  a  slight  sound  was  heard  near  the  ship  and  a 
thin  cloud  of  vapor  was  seen  floating  upward  from 
a  patch  of  ripples  which  might  have  been  made  by  a 
duck  leaving  the  surface.  The  whale  had  exposed 
only  the  blowholes,  spouted,  refilled  the  lungs,  and 
again  sunk,  doing  it  almost  noiselessly.  The  gunners 
assert  that  this  is  quite  a  usual  occurrence  when  a 
single  gray  whale  is  being  hunted. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  things  in  the  life  history 
of  the  devilfish  is  the  annual  migration  which  occurs 
as  regularly  as  the  seasons.  In  no  other  large  cetacean 
is  there  anything  like  the  migrating  instinct  which 
carries  the  gray  whales  from  the  icy  waters  of  the 
north  three  thousand  miles  to  the  south  to  seek  the 
warm  lagoons  of  California  and  Korea  in  which  to 
raise  their  young. 

On  both  sides  of  the  Pacific  the  migrations  take 
place  at  almost  the  same  time.  Along  the  Korean 
coast  near  the  end  of  November  single  pregnant  fe- 
males appear,  traveling  steadily  southward;  a  little 
later  both  males  and  females  are  seen ;  and  finally  only 
males  bring  up  the  rear,  all  having  passed  by  January 
25th. 

When  going  south  almost  every  female  is  found,  to 
be  carrying  young  nearly  ready  for  birth,  and  all  are 
hurrying  straight  ahead  as  though  anxious  to  arrive 
at  the  breeding  grounds  as  soon  as  possible.  The  devil- 
fish again  pass  Ulsan,  Korea,  on  the  northward  trip, 
about  the  middle  of  March,  and  by  May  15  have 
disappeared. 

202 


A  WHALE'S  TONGUE 

A  comparison  of  these  observations  and  those  made 
by  Scammon  on  the  California  coast  show  that  the 
migration  periods  of  both  herds  correspond  closely 
and  that  the  breeding  grounds  are  in  very  nearly  the 
same  latitude. 


The  flukes  of  a  gray  whale.     The   edge   of   the  flukes  of  this 
species  is  very  thick,  but  in  most  whales  it  is  exceedingly  thin. 

As  yet  it  is  impossible  to  state  whether  or  not  the 
Korea  or  California  herds  mingle  in  the  north  during 
the  summer.  Information  gathered  from  the  whalers 
tends  to  show  that  a  large  part  of  the  former  school 
summers  in  the  Okhotsk  Sea,  and  a  large  part  of  the 
latter  in  the  Bering  Sea  and  farther  north.  Individ- 
uals of  the  two  herds  may  mingle  and  interbreed  dur- 

203 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

ing  their  sojourn  in  the  north,  but  it  is  probable  that 
whales  which  have  been  born  near  either  the  Korea 
or  California  coasts  will  find  mates  among  the 
members  of  their  own  herd  during  the  southern 
migration,  and  return  annually  to  their  birthplace. 
It  is  quite  conceivable  that  the  case  of  the  gray 
whale  may  be  like  that  of  the  fur  seal,  where  it  has 
been  shown  conclusively  that  members  of  the  Ameri- 
can and  Japanese  herds  do  not  mingle  in  the  north 
although  separated  by  comparatively  few  miles  of 
water. 

Because  of  its  regular  migrations,  the  period  of 
gestation  of  this  species  can  be  more  nearly  deter- 
mined than  that  of  any  other  large  whale,  and  is 
about  one  year.  Mating  appears  to  take  place  in  the 
south  during  December  or  early  January,  and  the 
calf  is  ready  for  delivery  at  the  same  time  the  follow- 
ing winter;  probably  calves  are  born  but  once  in  two 
years.  The  length  of  the  gray  whale  calf  at  birth  is 
between  twelve  and  seventeen  feet  and  undoubtedly 
its  size  is  much  more  than  doubled  during  the  first 
year  after  birth. 

The  devilfish  is  a  shore-loving  species  and  on  its 
annual  migrations  always  prefers  to  cruise  along  close 
to  the  beach.  When  unmolested  it  swims  about  four 
or  five  miles  an  hour  and  cannot  exceed  nine  miles 
even  when  badly  frightened  and  doing  its  best  to  get 
away. 

At  times  the  whales  will  go  in  so  close  to  the  shore 
that  they  are  actually  rolling  in  the  surf,  and  seem  to 
enjoy  being  pounded  by  the  breakers.  Scammon  has 

204 


A  WHALE'S  TONGUE 

observed  the  same  habit  in  the  California  specimens 
and  says: 

About  the  shoals  at  the  mouth  of  one  of  the  lagoons,  in 
1860,  we  saw  large  numbers  of  the  monsters.  It  was  at  the 
low  stage  of  the  tide,  and  the  shoal  places  were  plainly 


A  strip  of  blubber  from  the  back  of  a  gray  whale  with  the  short 
flipper  at  the  end  of  it. 

marked  by  the  constantly  foaming  breakers.  To  our  sur- 
prise we  saw  many  of  the  whales  going  through  the  surf 
where  the  depth  of  water  was  barely  sufficient  to  float 
them.  We  could  discern  in  many  places,  by  the  white  sand 
that  came  to  the  surface,  that  they  must  be  near  or  touching 
the  bottom. 

One  in  particular  lay  for  half  an  hour  in  the  breakers, 
205 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

playing,  as  seals  often  do  in  a  heavy  surf;  turning  from  side 
to  side  with  half  extended  fins,  and  moved  apparently  by 
the  ground-swell  which  was  breaking;  at  times  making  a 
playful  spring  with  its  bending  flukes,  throwing  its  body 
clear  of  the  water,  coming  down  with  a  heavy  splash, 
then  making  two  or  three  spouts,  and  again  settling  under 
water;  perhaps  the  next  moment  its  head  would  appear, 
and  with  the  heavy  swell  the  animal  would  roll  over  in 
a  listless  manner,  to  all  appearances  enjoying  the  sport  in- 
tensely. We  passed  close  to  this  sportive  animal,  and  had 
only  thirteen  feet  of  water.1 

Often,  when  being  hunted,  the  Korean  whales  would 
swim  into  water  so  shallowT  that  the  ships  could  not 
follow,  and  remain  there  until  the  men  had  given  up 
the  chase. 

1  (/•  c.t  P.  24.) 


CHAPTER  XVII 
SOME  HABITS  OF  THE  GRAY  WHALE 

ALTHOUGH  the  stomachs  of  a  great  number 
of  gray  whales  were  carefully  examined,  I 
could  never  discover  what  constitutes  their 
food,  and  no  one  else  seems  to  have  had  better  suc- 
cess. In  every  case  the  stomach  was  more  or  less 
filled  with  dark  green  water  in  which  the  only  solid 
materials  were  bits  of  kelp,  a  little  seaweed,  and  small 
masses  of  light  green  gelatinous  material. 

The  stomachs  of  two  individuals  contained  a  num- 
ber of  waterworn  pebbles  and  several  small  pieces  of 
what  appeared  to  be  finely  shredded  flesh  still  con- 
nected by  its  fibers;  this  certainly  was  not  fish.  It 
is  probable  that  the  kelp,  seaweed,  and  pebbles  had 
been  taken  in  with  other  material  and  were  not  swal- 
lowed intentionally. 

All  the  gunners  assert  that  when  the  gray  whales 
appear  at  Ulsan  on  their  migrations  they  are  invari- 
ably traveling  straight  ahead  and  apparently  not  stop- 
ping to  feed.  This  information,  combined  with  the 
fact  that  little  except  water  could  be  found  in  the 
stomachs,  lends  strong  support  to  the  theory  that 
when  upon  their  annual  migrations  the  devilfish  do  not 
feed  at  all,  and  during  the  winter  draw  for  nourish- 
ment upon  the  fat  of  their  thick  blubber.  This  is  true 

207 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

of  the  fur  seal  during  the  breeding  season,  and  of 
other  water  mammals.  When  the  male  fur  seals  ar- 
rive upon  the  "rookeries"  at  the  Pribilof  Islands  to 
await  the  coming  of  the  females,  their  bodies  are  cov- 
ered with  layer  upon  layer  of  fat.  During  the  fol- 
lowing four  months  the  bulls  do  not  leave  the  land 
and  neither  eat,  drink  nor  sleep  while  they  guard  their 
harems,  subsisting  upon  the  fat  which  has  been  stored 
up  on  their  bodies.  When  the  animals  leave  in  the  fall 
to  spend  the  winter  at  sea,  they  have  become  so  thin 
through  their  self -en  forced  fasting  that  they  are  mere 
skeletons  of  their  former  well-fed  selves. 

Scammon  says  that  in  the  spring  the  blubber  of 
the  devilfish  is  dry  and  yields  but  comparatively  little 
oil,  as  would  be  the  case  if  the  animals  had  fasted 
during  the  winter.  I  have  no  personal  information  as 
to  this  because  in  Korea  these  whales  are  not  killed 
on  their  northward  migrations.  So  many  other  and 
more  valuable  species  can  be  taken  during  the  spring 
that  the  devilfish  are  allowed  to  depart  unmolested. 
If  they  do  feed  while  on  their  migrations,  the  food  in 
their  stomachs  would  certainly  have  been  discovered 
when  the  animals  were  cut  in  at  the  stations. 

The  male  devilfish  at  all  times  shows  strong  affec- 
tion for  the  female,  and  when  a  school  of  males,  led 
by  one  or  two  females,  is  found,  if  one  of  the  latter  is 
wounded,  often  the  bulls  refuse  to  leave  until  the  cow 
is  dead. 

Captain  Melsom  tells  me  that  while  hunting  a  pair 
of  devilfish  near  Ulsan  he  shot  the  female,  and  the 
male  would  not  leave  his  dead  consort,  keeping  close 

208 


SOME  HABITS  OF  THE  GRAY  WHALE 

alongside  and  pushing  his  head  over  her  body.  Later 
he  struck  the  male  with  a  harpoon,  but  did  not  get 
fast,  and  even  then  it  returned  and  was  finally  killed. 
Scammon  says  that  when  attacked  in  the  lagoons 
with  their  young  the  devilfish  would  turn  furiously 


Captain   Melsom  about   to ,  lance  a  gray  whale   from  the  pram. 

upon  the  boats,  and  that  almost  every  day  injuries  to 
the  crews  were  reported.  He  gives  an  interesting  ac- 
count of  two  gray  whales  which,  in  February,  1856, 
were  found  aground  in  Magdalena  Bay: 

Each  had  a  calf  playing  about,  there  being  sufficient  depth 
for  the  young  ones,  while  the  mothers  were  lying  hard  on 
the  bottom.  When  attacked,  the  smaller  of  the  two  old 
whales  lay  motionless,  and  the  boat  approached  near  enough 
to  "set"  the  hand  lance  into  her  "life,"  dispatching  the  ani- 
mal at  a  single  dart.  The  other,  when  approached,  would 

209 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

raise  her  head  and  flukes  above  the  water,  supporting  her- 
self on  a  small  portion  of  the  belly,  turning  easily  and  head- 
ing toward  the  boat,  which  made  it  very  difficult  to  capture 
her. 

It  appears  to  be  their  habit  to  get  into  the  shallowest 
inland  waters  when  their  cubs  are  young.  For  this  reason 
the  whaling  ships  anchor  at  a  considerable  distance  from 
where  the  crews  go  to  hunt  the  animals,  and  several  vessels 
are  often  in  the  same  lagoon.1 

The  whalemen  in  Korea,  where  the  hunting  is  done 
from  small  steamships  by  the  Norwegian  method,  do 
not  regard  the  animals  as  especially  dangerous.  They 
seldom  lance  one  from  the  pram,  as  is  frequently  done 
with  other  whales,  because  the  devilfish  seem  to  be 
very  sensitive  to  pain  and  as  soon  as  the  iron  penetrates 
the  body  the  animal  will  raise  itself  in  the  water, 
throwing  its  head  from  side  to  side  and  sometimes 
lashing  about  with  its  flukes  and  flippers. 

Probably  if  the  gray  whales  were  hunted  on  their 
breeding  grounds  about  the  southern  end  of  Korea, 
they  would  be  found  to  be  dangerous  even  to  the  ves- 
sels themselves,  but  I  doubt  if  more  so  than  other 
species  under  similar  conditions. 

Most  whales  are  subject  to  diseases  of  various  kinds 
and  the  devilfish  is  no  exception.  One  specimen  was 
brought  to  the  station  at  Ulsan  with  all  the  flesh  on 
the  left  side  of  the  head  badly  decomposed  and  in 
some  places  entirely  gone,  leaving  the  bone  exposed; 
what  remained  hung  in  a  soft,  green  evil-smelling 
mass.  The  whale  had  evidently  suffered  considerably 

1  (/•  c.,  p.  25.) 

210 


SOME  HABITS  OF  THE  GRAY  WHALE 

from  the  disease,  for  it  was  very  thin  and  the  blubber 
was  dry. 

A  second  specimen  had  a  large  swelling  on  the  ven- 
tral ridge  of  the  peduncle,  which,  upon  being  opened, 
proved  to  be  a  large  capsular  tumor  about  one  foot  in 


After  the  death  stroke.    The  lance  has  penetrated  the  lungs  and 
the  whale  is  spouting  blood. 

depth  and  of  a  like  diameter.  The  skin  upon  the 
snout  of  a  third  individual  was  drawn  into  small 
circular  patches,  leaving  large  sections  of  the  blubber 
exposed. 

The  entire  body  of  the  devilfish  is  thickly  infested 
with  "whale  lice"  and  barnacles.  The  former  resem- 
bles a  diminutive  crab  and  by  means  of  the  sharp  claws 

211 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

on  its  feet  fastens  itself  firmly  on  the  soft  skin  of 
the  whale.  Wherever  there  is  an  injury  or  abrasion 
of  any  sort,  quantities  of  these  parasites  cluster  and 
breed. 

On  the  snout  and  top  of  the  head  the  skin  is  usually 
roughened,  or  cornified,  much  like  the  "bonnet"  of  the 
right  whale,  this  being  caused  by  the  attacks  of  the 
whale  lice.  If  one  of  these  parasites  is  placed  upon 
the  hand  it  begins  slowly  to  raise  the  body  upon  the 
front  legs,  driving  its  claws  into  the  flesh,  and  in  a 
short  time  will  be  firmly  fastened  and  can  only  be  re- 
moved with  difficulty.  The  whale  lice  are  crustaceans 
and  have  been  named  Cyamus  scammoni  after  Captain 
Charles  M.  Scammon,  who  first  discovered  them  upon 
the  gray  whales  of  California. 

Besides  whale  lice  the  devilfish  are  the  hosts  of  hard, 
shell-like  barnacles  known  as  Cryptolcpas  rhachianec- 
tci.  These  imbed  themselves  deeply  on  all  parts  of  the 
body  and  sometimes  are  found  in  large  clusters. 
Whenever  a  barnacle  becomes  detached  a  circular, 
grayish  pit  remains ;  this  becomes  white  as  the  wound 
heals,  and  the  scar  is  exactly  like  that  produced  on 
the  humpback  by  the  barnacle  Coronula  diadcina. 
Without  doubt  these  parasites  cause  the  whale  a  great 
deal  of  annoyance  and  the  animals  probably  rub  them- 
selves against  rocks  in  endeavors  to  scrape  them  off. 

The  hairs  on  the  devilfish  are  longer  and  are  dis- 
tributed more  uniformly  over  the  entire  head  than  in 
the  case  of  any  other  whale.  This  is  an  exceedingly 
interesting  and  important  fact  and,  together  with  many 
other  anatomical  characters,  indicates  that  the  gray 


SOME  HABITS  OF  THE  GRAY  WHALE 

whale  is  a  very  primitive  species  which  is  more  like 
its  ancient,  fossil  ancestors  than  any  other  existing 
large  cetacean. 

The  presence  of  hairs  upon  whales  and  dolphins  is 
evidence  that  when  the  animals  lived  upon  the  earth, 
millions  of  years  ago,  they  must  have  been  entirely 
covered  with  hair  as  are  ordinary  land  mammals. 
The  hair  of  most  whales  is  confined  to  the  snout  and 
chin  but  in  the  devilfish  it  is  distributed  in  irregular 
rows  over  the  top  and  sides  of  the  head. 

The  hair  on  cetaceans  is  in  a  degenerate  condition 
and  does  not  possess  at  the  base  a  gland  (sebaceous) 
for  the  secretion  of  oily  matter  to  supply  it  with 
nourishment  and  lubrication  as  in  land  mammals.  It 
seems  probable  that  the  loss  of  hair  in  cetaceans  is 
largely  due  to  their  aquatic  life,  because  the  blubber 
performs  the  function  of  hair  in  keeping  the  animals 
warm  and  an  outer  covering  is  no  longer  needed; 
also  most  land  mammals  need  hair  to  protect  their 
tender  skins  from  bruises  and  abrasions  but  for  a 
whale  this  is  unnecessary. 

The  manatee,  or  sea  cow,  an  entirely  aquatic  mam- 
mal, has  lost  nearly  all  hair,  and  in  the  walrus  it  has 
become  very  much  reduced;  the  latter  animal  spends 
almost  all  its  time  in  the  water,  coming  out  but  com- 
paratively seldom  to  sleep  upon  the  smooth  ice;  and 
in  addition  to  the  blubber  it  has  developed  an  exceed- 
ingly tough  skin.  It  is  true  that  seals  all  possess 
blubber,  and  some  an  additional  coat  of  thick  soft  fur, 
but  they  are  not  as  yet  exclusively  aquatic;  although 
much  of  their  life  is  spent  in  the  water,  they  still  come 

213 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

upon  the  land  for  extended  periods  during  the  breed- 
ing season  and  need  hair  for  protection  from  the  rough 
rocks  upon  which  they  rest,  rather  than  for  warmth. 

The  blubber  of  the  devilfish  is  thick  and  fat  and 
varies  in  color  from  red  to  flesh-pink.  Because  of  this 
difference  the  Japanese  recognize  two  kinds  of  gray 
whale — the  aosaki  (red  blubber)  and  the  shirosaki 
(white  blubber),  but  this  is  merely  an  individual  dif- 
ference and  certainly  is  not  sufficient  ground  for  spe- 
cific distinction. 

The  Japanese  consider  the  meat  and  blubber  of  the 
devilfish  to  be  of  poorer  quality  for  eating  than  that 
of  any  other  baleen  whale.  In  the  winter,  during  De- 
cember and  January  when  the  price  is  at  the  highest, 
the  blubber  sells  for  about  4  sen  (2  cents)  per  pound 
and  the  red  meat  at  10  sen  (5  cents). 


CHAPTER  XVHI 
THE  WOLF  OF  THE  SEA 

ALTHOUGH  the  killer  whale  has  no  great  com- 
mercial value,  it  is  often  brought  in  at  the 
shore  stations  and  figures  so  prominently  in 
all  deep-sea  life  that  to  omit  it   from  any  book  on 
whaling  wrould  be  a  grave  error. 

The  killer  is  the  wolf  of  the  sea  and  like  the  land 
wolves  hunts  in  packs  of  twenty  or  more  individuals 
which  will  attack  and  devour  almost  anything  that 
swims.  Every  whaleman  has  stories  to  tell  of  the 
strength  and  ferocity  of  these  sea  terrors,  but  I  think 
that  the  incident  witnessed  by  Captain  Robert  F.  Scott 
and  published  in  the  journal  of  his  last  ill-fated  ex- 
pedition is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  experiences  of 
which  I  have  ever  kno\vn.  It  is  so  interesting  that  I 
have  quoted  it  in  full  : 

Thursday,  January. — All  hands  were  up  at  5  this  morning 
and  at  work  at  6.  Words  cannot  express  the  splendid  way 
in  which  everyone  works  and  gradually  the  work  gets  or- 
ganized. I  was  a  little  late  on  the  scene  this  morning,  and 
thereby  witnessed  a  most  extraordinary  scene. 

Some  6  or  7  killer  whales,  old  and  young,  were  skirting 
the  fast  floe  edge  ahead  of  the  ship;  they  seemed  excited 
and  dived  rapidly,  almost  touching  the  floe.  As  we  watched, 
they  suddenly  appeared  astern,  raising  their  snouts  out  of 

215 


THE  WOLF  OF  THE  SEA 

water.  I  had  heard  weird  stories  of  these  beasts,  but  had 
never  associated  serious  danger  with  them.  Close  to  the 
water's  edge  lay  the  wire  and  stern  rope  of  the  ship,  and 
our  two  Esquimaux  dogs  were  tethered  to  this. 

I  did  not  think  of  connecting  the  movements  of  the  whales 
with  this  fact,  and  seeing  them  so  close  I  shouted  to  Ponting, 


A  posterior  view  of  a  killer  showing  the  high  dorsal  fin.  In  the 
male  the  dorsal  is  over  six  feet  in  height  but  in  the  female 
it  is  only  four  feet. 

who  was  standing  abreast  of  the  ship.  He  seized  the 
camera  and  ran  toward  the  floe  edge  to  get  a  close  picture  of 
the  beasts,  which  had  momentarily  disappeared.  The  next 
moment  the  whole  floe  under  him  and  the  dogs  heaved  up 
and  split  into  fragments.  One  could  hear  the  "booming" 
noise  as  the  whales  rose  under  the  ice  and  struck  it  with 
their  backs. 

Whale  after  whale  rose  under  the  ice,  setting  it  rocking 

217 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

fiercely;  luckily  Ponting  kept  his  feet  and  was  able  to  fly 
to  security.  By  an  extraordinary  chance  also,  the  splits  had 
been  made  around  and  between  the  dogs,  so  that  neither 
of  them  fell  into  the  water.  Then  it  was  clear  that  the 
whales  shared  our  astonishment,  for  one  after  another  their 
huge  hideous  heads  shot  vertically  into  the  air  through  the 
cracks  which  they  had  made.  As  they  reared  them  to  a 
height  of  6  or  8  feet  it  was  possible  to  see  their  tawny 
head  markings,  their  small  glistening  eyes,  and  their  terrible 
array  of  teeth — by  far  the  largest  and  most  terrifying  in  the 
world.  There  cannot  be  a  doubt  that  they  looked  up  to 
see  what  had  happened  to  Ponting  and  the  dogs. 

The  latter  were  horribly  frightened  and  strained  to  their 
chains  whining;  the  head  of  one  killer  must  certainly  have 
been  within  5  feet  of  one  of  the  dogs. 

After  this,  whether  they  thought  the  game  insignificant, 
or  whether  they  missed  Ponting  is  uncertain,  but  the  ter- 
rifying creatures  passed  on  to  other  hunting  grounds,  and 
we  were  able  to  rescue  the  dogs,  and,  what  was  even  more 
important,  our  petrol — 5  or  6  tons  of  which  was  waiting 
on  a  piece  of  ice  which  was  not  split  away  from  the  main 
mass. 

Of  course,  we  have  known  well  that  killer  whales  con- 
tinually skirt  the  edge  of  the  floes  and  that  they  would 
undoubtedly  snap  up  any  one  who  was  unfortunate  enough 
to  fall  into  the  water;  but  the  facts  that  they  could  display 
such  deliberate  cunning,  that  they  were  able  to  break  ice 
of  such  thickness  (at  least  2^  feet),  and  that  they  could 
act  in  unison,  were  a  revelation  to  us.  It  is  clear  that 
they  are  endowed  with  singular  intelligence,  and  in  future 
we  shall  treat  that  intelligence  with  every  respect.1 

Dr.   Charles  H.  Townsend,   Director  of  the  New 

1  "Scott's  Last  Expedition."  Arranged  by  Leonard  Huxley. 
New  York,  1913,  Vol.  I,  pp.  65-66. 

218 


THE  WOLF  OF  THE  SEA 

York  Aquarium,  tells  of  an  interesting  experience  on 
the  Pribilof  Islands,  which  illustrates  the  terror  in 
which  the  killers  are  held  by  other  water  mammals. 
He  was  collecting  a  number  of  the  great  Steller's  sea 
lions  for  the  Smithsonian  Institution  and  was  shoot- 
ing the  animals,  which  were  on  land,  with  a  repeating 
rifle. 

The  sea  lions  began  rushing  toward  the  water  in 
terror  when  suddenly  the  high  dorsal  fin  of  a  killer 
whale  appeared  a  few  fathoms  offshore.  The  sea  lions 
stopped  short  and  could  not  be  forced  into  the  water, 
preferring  to  face  the  unknown  danger  of  the  rifle 
rather  than  certain  death  in  the  jaws  of  an  enemy 
which  from  earliest  babyhood  they  had  been  taught 
to  fear. 

The  killer  belongs  to  the  dolphin  family,  of  which  it 
is  the  largest  member,  reaching  a  length  of  from 
twenty  to  thirty  feet.  These  animals  are  found  in  al- 
most every  ocean  of  the  world  and,  although  several 
species  have  been  described,  probably  there  is  but  one, 
Orca  orca.  The  dorsal  fin  of  the  male  is  six  "feet 
high  while  that  of  the  female  is  but  three  and  one- 
half  or  four  feet,  and  this  has  led  to  the  naming  of 
specimens  which  have  proved  to  be  only  the  male  and 
female  of  the  same  species. 

Killers  will  apparently  eat  anything  that  swims  and 
fish,  birds,  seals,  walrus,  whales,  and  porpoises  are  all 
equally  acceptable.  Their  capacity  is  almost  unbeliev- 
able, and  there  is  a  record  of  thirteen  porpoises  and 
fourteen  seals  being  taken  from  the  stomach  of  a 
twenty-one-foot  specimen. 

219 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

Dr.  Wilson  speaks  of  killers  in  the  Antarctic  as  fol- 
lows : 

Of  the  whales,  the  most  prominent  of  all  are  the  Killers, 
or  Orca  whales,  which  scour  the  seas  and  the  pack-ice  in 
hundreds  to  the  terror  of  seals  and  penguins.  The  Killer 
is  a  powerful  piebald  whale  of  some  fifteen  feet  in  length. 
It  hunts  in  packs  of  a  dozen,  or  a  score,  or  sometimes  many 
scores.  No  sooner  does  the  ice  break  up  than  the  Killers 
appear  in  the  newly  formed  leads  of  water,  and  the  pen- 
guins show  well  that  they  appreciate  the  fact  by  their  un- 
willingness to  be  driven  off  the  floes. 

From  the  middle  of  September  to  the  end  of  March  these 
whales  were  in  McMurdo  Strait,  and  the  scars  that  they 
leave  on  the  seals,  more  particularly  on  the  Crab-eating 
seal  of  the  pack-ice,  afford  abundant  testimony  to  their 
vicious  habits.  Not  one  in  five  of  the  pack-ice  seals  is 
free  from  the  marks  of  the  Killer's  teeth,  and  even  the  Sea 
Leopard,  which  is  the  most  powerful  seal  of  the  Antarctic, 
has  been  found  with  fearful  lacerations. 

Only  the  Weddell  Seal  is  more  or  less  secure,  because  it 
avoids  the  open  sea.  Living,  as  it  does,  quite  close  inshore, 
breeding  in  bights  and  bays  on  fast  ice  some  ten  or  twenty 
miles  from  the  open  water,  it  thus  avoids  the  attacks  of 
the  Killer  to  a  large  extent.1 

In  Japan  killers  are  abundant,  especially  near  Korea, 
and  I  have  seen  numbers  of  the  animals  in  the  Bering 
Sea  and  along  the  coast  of  Vancouver  Island.  The 
Japanese  call  the  killer  "takamatsu"  and  in  various 
parts  of  America  it  is  known  as  the  orca,  thresher,  or 
grampus.  The  two  latter  terms  are  especially  confus- 
ing and  inappropriate,  for  the  name  thresher  properly 

1  "The  Voyage  of  the  Discovery,"  1905,  App.,  p.  470. 

220 


THE  WOLF  OF  THE  SEA 

belongs  to  a  shark  and  grampus  to  a  species  of  porpoise 
( Grampus  griseus) . 

The  trident-shaped  area  of  white,  the  white  spots 
behind  the  eyes,  and  the  enormous  dorsal  fin  are  very 
conspicuous  on  the  black  body,  and  the  animal  may  be 
recognized  at  a  long  distance;  foetal  specimens  have 
orange-buff  where  the  adult  is  white. 

The  killer  can  swim  at  a  tremendous  speed  and  be- 
cause of  the  nature  of  its  food  the  sounds  and  bays 
along  the  coast  which  swarm  with  every  variety  of 
marine  life  are  more  frequently  its  feeding  grounds 
than  the  open  sea. 

Scammon  says  that  the  killer  is  a  menace  to  even  the 
full-grown  walrus,  especially  when  pups  are  with  their 
parents.  He  states  that  sometimes  the  young  walrus 
will  mount  upon  its  mother's  back  to  avoid  the  killer 
and  that  then  "the  rapacious  orca  quickly  dives,  and, 
coming  up  under  the  parent  animal,  with  a  spiteful 
thud  throws  the  young  one  from  the  dam's  back  into 
the  water,  when  in  a  twinkling  it  is  seized,  and,  with 
one  crush,  devoured  by  its  adversary."  l 

The  killer's  habit  of  forcing  open  a  whale's  mouth 
and  eating  the  tongue  from  the  living  animal,  is  an 
extraordinary  method  of  attack  which  has  long  been 
recorded  by  the  whalemen  who  hunted  the  Arctic  bow- 
head.  I  must  confess,  however,  that  I  had  always  been 
skeptical  as  to  the  accuracy  of  this  report  until  my 
own  experiences  with  the  gray  whales  in  Korea,  wrhere 
its  truth  was  clearly  demonstrated. 

1  (/.  c.,  P.  92.) 

221 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

Another  story  which  is  undoubtedly  purely  mythical, 
although  it  has  astonishingly  wide  credence,  is  that  of 
"the  swordfish  and  the  thresher.'1  It  is  said  that  a 
swordfish  with  a  killer  will  attack  a  large  whale, 
prodding  the  animal  from  below  with  its  "sword"  and 


An  anterior  view  of  a  killer.     The  heavy  teeth  and  the  white 
spot  just  behind  the  eye  are  well  shown. 


preventing  it  from  diving,  while  the  killer  tears  out 
the  tongue. 

I  have  personally  interviewed  a  number  of  men 
who  were  reported  to  have  witnessed  such  a  combat, 
but  have  never  yet  found  one  who  had  seen  a  sword- 
fish,  or  had  any  evidence  of  one  being  there,  although 
the  killer  could  easily  be  seen.  They  usually  defend 

222 


THE  WOLF  OF  THE  SEA 

their  story  by  saying  that  a  swordfish  must  have  been 
below,  otherwise  the  whale  would  have  sounded.  Un- 
doubtedly what  prevents  the  whale  from  diving  is  the 
fact  that  it  becomes  paralyzed  with  fright  and  so  ut- 
terly confused  that  it  is  unable  to  escape. 

An  orca  probably  could  not  kill  a  large  whale  alone, 
but  single  individuals  undoubtedly  cause  all  the  fin 
whales  great  annoyance  by  biting  off  the  tips  of  their 
flukes  and  flippers;  at  least  two-thirds  of  the  whales 
brought  to  the  stations  had  the  flukes  or  flippers  in- 
jured. I  have  a  photograph  of  a  young  finback  whale 
with  the  flipper  torn  and  mangled  and  plainly  showing 
a  killer's  teeth  marks. 

The  sperm  whale  is  probably  the  only  marine  ani- 
mal which  is  more  than  a  match  for  a  herd  of  killers. 
The  enormous  lower  jaw  ofj  a  sperm  whale  presents 
an  array  of  teeth  even  more  formidable  than  those 
of  the  orca,  and  I  greatly  doubt  if  the  killer  could 
succeed  in  terrifying  this  whale;  it  is  significant  that 
the  flukes  and  flippers  of  sperms  are  practically  al- 
ways free  from  injuries. 

Like  other  members  of  the  dolphin  family,  the  killer 
has  twelve  teeth  in  both  jaws  and  they  may  be 
readily  distinguished  from  those  of  the  sperm  whale 
by  their  smaller  size  and  flatter  basal  portion. 


CHAPTER  XIX 


O 


A  STRANGE  GIANT  OF  THE  OCEAN 

F  all  the  strange  animals  which  live  in  the  sea 
the  sperm  whale  is  certainly  one  of  the  most 
extraordinary;  whenever  I  look  at  one  I  feel 
like  saying  with  the  country  boy  who  had  just  seen 
his  first  camel : 

"There  ain't  no  such  thing,  b'gosh." 

Its  head,  which  occupies  one-third  of  the  entire  body, 


A  sperm  whale  lying  on  the  slip  at  Kyuquot,  Vancouver  Island. 
Note  the  slender  lower  jaw  and  the  small  side  fins. 

224 


A  STRANGE  GIANT  OF  THE  OCEAN 

is  rectangular  in  shape,  and  contains  an  immense  tank 
filled  with  liquid  oil  known  as  "spermaceti."  It  is- 
only  necessary  to  cut  an  opening  in  the  "case,"  as  this 
portion  of  the  head  is  called,  and  with  a  bucket  dip 
out  ten  or  fifteen  barrels  of  oil. 

Spermaceti  congeals  slightly  when  cooled  and  in  ap- 
pearance is  much  like  soft  white  paraffin.  Beneath 
the  oil-case  is  a  great  mass  of  cellular  tissue,  called 
the  "junk,"  which  also  contains  spermaceti  although 
not  in  a  liquid  condition.  Spermaceti  is  used  almost 
entirely  for  lubricating  fine  pieces  of  machinery  and 
its  quality  is  very  much  superior  to  the  oil  obtained 
from  the  blubber. 

The  use  to  the  whale  of  the  oil-case  is  largely  a 
matter  of  conjecture.  My  own  belief  is  that  it  acts 
as  a  great  reservoir  and  that  the  animal  draws  upon  it 
for  nourishment  during  periods  of  food  scarcity. 
Bears,  seals,  and  other  animals  store  up  on  their 
bodies  great  quantities  of  fat  which  enable  them  to 
live  without  food  during  hibernation,  or  the  breeding 
period,  and  the  sperm  whale  is  possibly  a  similar  case; 
some  specimens  are  killed  which  are  "dry,"  and  have 
practically  no  oil  in  either  the  blubber  or  head. 

Spermaceti  should  not  be  confused  with  "am- 
bergris," a  substance  of  great  value  in  the  manufacture 
of  perfumes,  which  is  obtained  only  from  the  sperm 
whale.  Ambergris  is  due  to  a  pathological  condition 
of  the  intestines  and  is  never  found  in  healthy  whales. 
It  is  impossible  to  tell  just  how  the  substance  is  formed, 
but  the  fact  that  it  often  contains  cuttlefish  beaks  leads 
to  the  supposition  that  it  is  in  some  way  connected  with 

225 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

the  squid  and  cuttlefish  upon  which  the  sperm  whale 
feeds. 

If  but  a  small  amount  of  ambergris  is  produced  it 
will  often  pass  off  with  the  excreta  and,  since  it  is  very 
light,  may  be  found  floating  in  the  water,  but  the  en- 


Stripping  the  blubber  from  the  head  of  a  sperm  whale.  Immedi- 
ately beneath  the  blubber  of  this  portion  is  the  oil-case. 
The  blowhole  may  be  seen  at  the  end  of  the  snout. 

tire  intestines  of  dead  whales  have  been  known  to  be 
clogged  with  the  substance.  It  is  exceedingly  valuable, 
the  black  ambergris  being  worth  at  the  present  time 
$12.50  an  ounce,  and  the  gray,  which  is  of  superior 
quality,  $20.  As  much  as  $60,000  worth  has  been 
taken  from  the  intestines  of  a  single  whale. 

It  is  not  itself  used  as  an  odor  but  as  a  fixative  in 
226 


A  STRANGE  GIANT  OF  THE  OCEAN 

perfumes;  that  is,  to  make  the  fragrance  last.  Many 
substitutes  for  ambergris  have  been  adopted  in  com- 
mercial work,  but  as  yet  none  has  been  found  which  is 
as  effective  as  the  original  substance. 

For  hundreds  of  years  ambergris  has  been  known 
and  used  in  various  ways.  It  was  formerly  supposed 
to  have  wonderful  medicinal  qualities  (which,  how- 
ever, are  largely  mythical)  and  in  Asia  was  employed 
as  a  spice  in  cooking.  The  Turks  have  long  considered 
it  of  the  greatest  value,  and  pilgrims  who  traveled  to 
Mecca  used  to  bring  it  as  an  offering.  Ambergris  has 
a  peculiar  and  not  disagreeable  odor  which,  when 
once  identified,  will  not  easily  be  forgotten;  after 
touching  it  traces  of  the  smell  will  still  remain  even 
though  the  hands  have  received  several  washings. 

During  the  last  eight  years  at  least  fifty  persons 
have  brought  to  my  office  for  identification  almost  as 
many  different  substances  which  they  have  found  float- 
ing or  washed  up  on  the  seacoast,  and  which  they  de- 
voutly prayed  might  prove  to  be  ambergris.  One 
man  brought  as  a  sample  a  large  piece  of  tallow  from 
a  barrel  ful  which  he  had  collected  at  considerable 
trouble  and  expense;  another  had  a  portion  of  a  jelly- 
fish, and  a  third  carefully  treasured  a  mass  of  dirty 
soap.  But  as  yet  no  one  has  brought  "the  real  thing/' 
Ambergris  is  soluble  in  alcohol  and  this  is  a  good  first 
test  for  those  to  whom  the  substance  is  unknown. 

The  sperm  is  by  far  the  largest  member  of  the 
toothed  whale  family  and  has  from  eighteen  to  twen- 
ty-five massive  teeth  on  each  side  of  the  lower  jaw; 
these  fit  into  sockets  in  the  upper  jaw  and  assist  in 

227 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

holding  the  whale's  food.  Upper  teeth  are  also  pres- 
ent but  are  in  a  rudimentary  condition  and,  except  in 
rare  cases,  do  not  protrude  into  the  sockets;  undoubt- 
edly in  ancient  times  the  upper  teeth  were  as  well  de- 
veloped as  the  lower  but  since  they  have  not  been 


"The  sperm  .  .  .  has  from  eighteen  to  twenty-five  massive  teeth 
on  each  side  of  the  lower  jaw;  these  fit  into  sockets  in  the 
upper  jaw  and  assist  in  holding  the  whale's  food." 


needed  they  have  gradually  atrophied  and  almost  dis- 
appeared. Like  the  teeth  of  other  animals,  those  of 
the  sperm  whale  are  hollow  in  the  basal  half  of  their 
length  for  the  reception  of  nerves;  in  young  whales 
this  nerve  cavity  is  wide  and  deep  but  it  almost  closes 
with  increasing  age. 

228 


A  STRANGE  GIANT  OF  THE  OCEAN 

Quite  frequently  the  lower  jaw  of  an  immature 
animal  will  be  injured  and  as  the  whale  grows  its  jaw 
becomes  twisted  like  an  enormous  corkscrew.  The 
widespreading  posterior  part  of  the  jaw  is  called  the 


Cutting  away  the  "junk"  from  the  "case"  of  a  sperm  whale.  The 
junk  is  a  mass  of  cellular  tissue  which  also  contains  sperma- 
ceti. 


"panbone"  and  from  it  the  sailors  make  walking 
sticks,  pie-markers,  hairpins,  and  carvings  which  are 
often  beautifully  executed.  "Scrimshawing,"  or 
drawing  upon  whale's  teeth,  also  helps  to  while  away 
many  weary  hours  when  the  ship  lies  still  in  a  tropic 
calm. 

The  sperm  whale  is  a  lover  of  warm  currents  which 
229 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

favor  the  giant  squid  and  cuttlefish  on  which  it  lives, 
and  although  it  has  been  taken  as  far  north  as  the 
Aleutian  Islands,  Alaska,  even  there  it  is  in  the  com- 
paratively warm  waters  of  the  Japanese  stream;  it 
has  also  been  captured  in  the  sub-Antarctic  near  the 
Falkland  Islands. 

The  squid  reach  a  length  of  twenty  feet  or  more  and 
the  whale  sometimes  has  terrific  battles  with  its  huge 
prey,  the  tentacles  of  which,  armed  with  deadly  suck- 
ers, tear  long  gashes  in  the  skin  of  the  head  and  snout, 
leaving  white  scars  crisscrossed  in  every  direction.  In 
Japan  I  took  several  enormous  spiny  lobsters  from  the 
stomach  of  a  sperm  whale,  as  well  as  the  remains  of  a 
shark  and  seventy  or  eighty  yellow  parrot-like  beaks 
of  the  cuttlefish. 

Unlike  the  whalebone  whales,  of  which  the  opposite 
is  true,  the  male  sperm  is  very  much  larger  than  the 
female,  and  an  old  bull  will  sometimes  reach  a  length 
of  seventy  feet  and  weigh  eighty  or  ninety  tons.  Such 
an  animal  is  a  truly  colossal  creature.  The  head  of  a 
sixty-foot  sperm,  which  was  killed  by  Captain  Fred 
Olsen  in  Japan  especially  for  the  American  Museum, 
was  almost  twenty  feet  in  length,  and  the  skull,  when 
crated,  had  a  space  measurement  of  twenty-six  tons; 
it  was  so  large  that  it  would  barely  pass  through  the 
main  hatch  of  the  steamship  which  carried  it  to  New 
York. 

The  sperm  has  only  a  single  S-shaped  blowhole  situ- 
ated almost  at  the  end  of  the  snout  on  the  left  side, 
and  its  spout,  which  is  like  that  of  no  other  whale, 
may  be  easily  recognized  even  at  a  considerable  dis- 

230 


A  STRANGE  GIANT  OF  THE  OCEAN 

tance ;  the  low,  bushy,  vapor  column  is  directed  diago- 
nally forward  and  upward,  and  the  animal  blows  much 
oftener  and  more  regularly  than  other  large  cetaceans. 
A  sperm  may  spout  thirty  or  forty  times  when  not 


An  anterior  view  of  a  young  male  sperm  whale.  The  head  occu- 
pies one-third  the  entire  length  of  the  animal  and  the  lower 
jaw  is  much  shorter  than  the  upper. 

disturbed,  generally  lying  still  but  occasionally  swim- 
ming slowly  during  the  entire  breathing  period. 

When  a  bull  is  wallowing  at  the  surface,  the  "hump" 
(corresponding  to  the  dorsal  fin  of  the  fin  whales)  is 
first  seen,  and  at  regular  intervals,  as  the  spout  is 
ejected,  the  nose  appears  some  forty  feet  ahead.  The 
length  of  time  he  stays  at  the  surface,  the  number  of 

231 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

spouts,  and  the  interval  between  them  are  all  very 
regular  and  thus  the  hunters,  after  a  particular  whale 
has  been  observed  for  a  few  minutes,  know  exactly 
when  the  animal  will  again  appear  and  how  long  it 
will  remain  visible. 

After  its  blowing  has  been  finished,  the  head  grad- 
ually sinks,  the  back  and  "small"  are  curved  upward, 
the  flukes  are  lifted  slowly  high  into  the  air,  and  the 
whale  goes  straight  down. 

During  the  "big  dive"  the  animal  remains  below 
from  fifteen  to  forty  minutes  and  when  reappearing, 
if  not  disturbed,  swims  tranquilly  along  just  below  the 
surface  at  a  rate  of  about  three  or  four  miles  an  hour. 
His  body  is  then  horizontal,  with  the  hump  projecting 
above  the  water. 

When  frightened  and  speeding,  a  totally  different 
attitude  is  assumed  and  the  great  flukes  are  moved 
violently  up  and  down;  at  each  downward  stroke  the 
head  sinks  eight  or  ten  feet  below  the  surface  but  rises 
with  the  upward  motion,  presenting  only  the  cutwater- 
like  lower  portion.  The  upstroke  of  the  tail  appears 
to  be  the  more  powerful  of  the  two,  and  at  the  same 
time  the  broad  upper  half  of  the  head  is  lifted  above 
the  surface.  A  speed  of  ten  or  twelve  miles  an  hour 
can  be  reached  in  this  way,  which  the  whalers  describe 
as  "going  head  out." 

The  sperm  is  very  playful  and  like  the  humpback 
frequently  "breaches,"  or  throws  itself  out  of  water, 
shooting  into  the  air  at  an  angle  of  about  45  degrees 
and  falling  back  upon  its  side.  It  sometimes  lobtails 
also,  pounding  the  water  into  spray  with  its  flukes. 

232 


A  STRANGE  GIANT  OF  THE  OCEAN 

When  a  sperm  is  harpooned  with  a  hand  iron  it  often 
rolls  over  and  over  on  the  surface,  winding  the  line 
about  its  body  and  causing  the  hunters  a  deal  of 
trouble. 

Along  the  Japanese  coast  during  July  the  sperm 


The  tongue  of  a  sperm  whale ;  it  is  strikingly  different  from  the 
enormous  flabby  tongue  of  the  whalebone  whales. 

whales  sometimes  appear  in  enormous  herds  of  four 
hundred  or  more;  the  great  animals  will  lie  at  the 
surface  spouting  continually  and  the  sea  for  half  a 
mile  will  be  alive  with  whales. 

When  the  steam  whalers  find  a  school  of  this  sort, 
signals  are  set  to  bring  in  all  the  ships  which  may  be 
near,  and  there  is  excitement  enough  for  everyone. 

233 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

The  guns  bang  as  often  as  they  can  be  loaded  and  the 
whales  made  fast,  and  the  number  killed  is  merely  a 
question  of  how  many  harpoons  each  ship  carries,  or 
the  hours  of  daylight  left  when  the  herd  is  found. 
The  school  will  usually  move  very  slowly,  blowing 


The  head  of  the  sixty-foot  sperm  whale,  the  skeleton  of  which 
was  sent  to  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History,  from 
Japan.  The  "case"  yielded  20  barrels  of  spermaceti. 

and  wallowing  along  at  the  surface,  and  the  animals 
in  the  center  are  heedless  of  the  slaughter  on  the  out- 
skirts of  the  herd.  At  times,  however,  the  whales 
will  stampede  at  the  first  gun,  and  it  then  becomes 
a  stern  chase,  which  is  often  a  long  one,  before  a  ship 
can  get  fast. 

234 


A  STRANGE  GIANT  OF  THE  OCEAN 

At  Aikawa,  one  day,  a  whale  ship  with  a  Japanese 
gunner  raised  a  herd  of  sperms  a  long  way  from  the 
village.  The  man  allowed  his  greed  to  get  the  better 
of  his  judgment  and  killed  ten  whales.  He  made 
them  all  fast  to  the  ship,  which  could  barely  move  her 
load  through  the  water,  and  it  was  not  until  three  days 
later  that  she  arrived  at  the  station.  The  whales  had 
all  "blasted,"  or  decomposed,  and  were  not  as  valuable 
commercially  as  a  single  fresh  one  would  have  been. 

The  meat  of  this  species  is  so  dark  and  full  of  oil 
that  it  is  of  but  little  use  as  food.  Nevertheless,  dur- 
ing the  summer  it  is  sold  to  the  native  coal  miners 
of  Japan  who  live  in  such  extreme  poverty  that  they 
are  glad  to  get  even  such  meat  at  two  or  three  sen  per 
pound. 

I  shall  not  attempt  to  chronicle  he^e  the  numerous 
authentic  instances  of  ships  or  boats  which  have  been 
destroyed  and  sunk  by  sperm  whales,  for  they  are 
the  common  property  of  every  book  on  deep-sea  whal- 
ing. They  leave  no  doubt  that  these  animals  often 
turn  the  tables  on  their  hunters  and  attack  with  savage 
ferocity  and  dire  results. 

Apparently  the  sperm  is  the  only  whale  which  will 
deliberately  turn  upon  its  pursuers  when  not  in  its 
death  flurry.  Not  only  is  its  tail  used  with  terrible 
effectiveness  in  sweeping  the  surface  of  the  water  and 
delivering  smashing  blows,  but  boats  are  often  crushed 
like  kindling  wood  between  its  horrible  jaws. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  know  how  long  sperm 
whales  live.  The  bull  which  was  killed  in  Japan  for 
the  American  Museum  showed  unmistakable  evidences 

235 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

of  great  age.  Its  head  was  covered  with  white  criss- 
crossed scars,  bearing  testimony  of  terrific  battles 
with  giant  squids  in  the  ocean  depths,  and  the  teeth 
of  its  lower  jaw  were  worn  almost  flat,  projecting 
only  an  inch  or  two  above  the  gum.  Tlhe  bones  of 
its  skeleton  were  hard  and  rough,  being  covered  with 
tubercles  and  bony  growths. 


A  posterior  view  of  the  head  of  the  Museum's  sperm  whale.  The 
thick  covering  of  blubber  which  encircles  the  head  is  well 
shown. 

All  this  indicated  that  the  animal  had  lived  for 
many  years,  but  how  many  it  is  impossible  to  tell. 
The  condition  of  the  skeleton  shows  whether  a  whale 
is  old  or  young,  for  in  immature  animals  the  bones 
of  the  skull  are  separated  (i.  e.,  the  sutures  are  open), 
the  plates  on  the  end  of  the  vertebrae  (epiphyses)  are 
free,  and  all  the  bones  are  soft  and  spongy.  Even 


A  STRANGE  GIANT  OF  THE  OCEAN 

though  the  whale  may  have  reached  adult  size,  which 
it  usually  does  in  three  or  four  years,  the  evidences 
of  youth  are  still  present  in  the  skeleton. 

Reasoning  by  analogy  (which  is  always  unsafe),  I 
have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  a  whale's  life  is 
well  within  one  hundred  years,  but  I  must  admit  that 
my  argument  is  mainly  theory  and  that  there  are  but 
few  facts  with  which  it  may  be  supported.  Until 
recently,  many  naturalists  held  the  view  that  whales 
lived  for  hundreds  of  years  and  that  they  did  not 
reach  adult  size  until  long  after  birth.  The  latter 
contention  has  been  proved  utterly  wrong,  but  of  the 
former  we  have  little  new  knowledge;  neither  do  I 
see  how  we  can  ever  estimate  a  \vhale' s  age  with  any 
degree  of  accuracy. 


CHAPTER  XX 
A  DEEP-SEA  SPERM  WHALE  HUNT 

EVERY  time  I  see  a  sperm  whale  shot  with  a 
bomb  harpoon  from  the  bows  of  a  steamship, 
I  have  more  respect  for  the  old-time  hunters 
who  kill  the  huge  brutes  with  a  hand  harpoon  and 
lance.  The  vitality  of  a  sperm  is  enormous,  and  even 
when  several  bombs  have  exploded  in  its  body  the 
animal  will  often  fight  for  hours  before  it  spouts 
blood  and  dies. 

When  Captain  Olsen  secured  the  sixty- foot  sperm, 
the  skeleton  of  which  was  sent  to  the  Museum,  he 
got  fast  with  one  iron  but  did  not  kill  the  whale.  After 
some  time  the  vessel  was  near  enough  for  a  second 
shot,  and  Olsen  fired  a  harpoon  which  was  bent  slightly 
upward  at  the  point.  The  heavy  iron,  instead  of  pene- 
trating the  blubber,  rebounded,  and  when  it  was  drawn 
back  by  the  winch  was  found  to  be  actually  bent 
double,  the  point  of  the  bomb  being  within  a  few 
inches  of  the  opposite  end.  It  required  three  harpoons, 
each  weighing  one  hundred  and  ten  pounds,  to  finish 
the  whale. 

Yet  with  a  magnificent  courage  which  is  only  half 
appreciated  by  a  landsman,  the  fearless  New  Bedford 
whalers  attack  these  colossal  animals  with  merely  a 

238 


A  DEEP-SEA  SPERM  WHALE  HUNT 

slender  hand  lance.  Is  it  to  be  wondered  at  that  our 
New  England  ancestors  in  such  a  training  school  made 
a  history  of  which  every  American  may  well  be  proud  ? 
Although  deep-sea  whaling  is  practically  ended, 
year  after  year  two  or  three  ships  drop  away  from 
the  New  Bedford  wharves  bound  for  the  Hatteras 


A   female   sperm  whale  at   Aikawa,  Japan.     The  head   of    the 
female  is  much  more  pointed  than  that  of  the  male. 

grounds  for  sperm  whales.  The  cruises  are  short — 
only  six  or  seven  months — and  the  whales  are  killed, 
cut  in,  and  tried  out  at  sea  in  the  old-time  way.  But 
even  this  lacks  much  of  the  glamour  and  romance  of 
the  old  days,  when  sons  of  New  Bedford's  best  fam- 
ilies manned  the  boats,  for  now  the  crews  are  usually 
"Brava"  negroes  from  the  Kay  Verde  Islands,  and 

239 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

the  only  white  men  in  the  ship's  company  are  the  Cap- 
tain and  perhaps  one  or  two  of  the  Mates. 

The  excitement  of  the  hunt  is  still  there,  however, 
and  it  takes  the  same  nerve  and  the  same  cool  head 
to  fasten  to  and  lance  a  sperm,  as  it  did  fifty  years 
ago.  I  have  had  no  personal  experience  in  this  kind 
of  whaling,  and  therefore  it  does  not  fall  within  the 
scope  of  this  book,  but  by  way  of  contrast  I  have 
quoted  a  few  extracts  from  the  "Diary  of  a  Whaling 
Cruise"  by  Victor  Slocum,  Harpooner.1 

When  a  whale  is  cut  in  at  sea  the  carcass  is  made 
fast  to  the  lee  side  of  the  ship,  and  a  skeleton  platform 
of  heavy  planks  is  rigged  to  project  beyond  the  whale, 
just  above  the  surface.  The  mates  take  their  places 
there  and,  with  long  "whale  spades,"  make  incisions 
through  the  blubber,  which  is  stripped  off  in  long 
blanket  pieces  by  means  of  a  block  and  tackle  sus- 
pended from  the  mast.  When  the  blubber  is  all  in, 
the  head  is  cut  away  and  hauled  on  board,  where  the 
case  is  bailed,  then  the  chains  are  slacked  and  the 
great  carcass  sinks  into  the  green  depths  below  to  fur- 
nish food  for  thousands  of  hungry  sharks. 

Mr.  Slocum  tells  of  a  sperm  whale  hunt  in  the  fol- 
lowing words : 

At  4  A.  M.  all  hands  started  to  cut  in,  and  just  .as  we  got 
through  heaving,  it  was  whales  again — just  after  dinner. 
I  was  glad  of  that,  and  so  was  everybody  else,  for  the 
work  and  exposure  was  beginning-  to  pull  on  us,  and  a  full 
stomach  is  none  too  good  to  go  down  in  a  boat  with.  The 
whales  were  close  by,  and  a  large  school  of  them,  too.  There 

1  Forest  and  Stream,  Vol.  67,  1907,  pp.  928,  930,  968. 

240 


A  DEEP-SEA  SPERM  WHALE  HUNT 

was  just  a  breath  of  air  stirring,  so  up  went  the  sail  and 
we  paddled  as  noiselessly  as  aborigines  upon  our  quarry. 

There  seemed  to  be  whales  everywhere,  as  far  as  the  eye 
could  reach,  and  all  tame — just  rolling  and  snorting  in  the 
water  they  lay  in;  once  in  a  while  one  would  jump  like  a 


A  posterior  view  of  the  Museum's  sperm  whale.  Longitudinal 
cuts  have  been  made  through  the  blubber  revealing  the  flesh 
beneath. 


trout  and  make  a  splash  like  a  waterfall,  just  to  amuse 
himself. 

At  last  we  got  close  to  one  that  suited  us,  and  the  boats 
went  on  head  and  head ;  there  was  not  wind  enough  to 
manage  with  the  sail,  and  dipping  with  the  paddle  was  un- 
desirable for  it  might  result  in  a  scare,  so  we  lay  perfectly 
still,  right  in  his  course,  and  on  he  came. 

The  harpooner  stood  up  with  his  darting  gun  and  iron, 

241 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

and  just  as  the  great  snout  passed  under  our  boat,  he  plunged 
it  vertically  right  into  the  middle  of  the  back.  There  was 
the  report  of  the  gun,  a  heaving  of  the  boat  clear  of  the 
water,  a  sensation  like  that  of  passing  through  a  water- 
spout, and  the  dull  explosion  of  the  shell  all  in  the  space 
of  the  next  second — then  the  leviathan  stretched  out  dead. 
The  bomb  had  killed  him  instantly,  and  it  was  well  for 


Cutting  in  a  sperm  whale  at  sea  by  the  old-time  method. 

us  that  it  did,   for  in  the  case  of  an  ordinary  iron  being 
used,  we  would  have   been  stove  to  pieces. 

As  we  backed  away,  up  came  the  black  snout  of  another 
whale,  and  then  two  or  three  more.  They  did  not  seem 
to  know  that  there  was  any  mischief,  and  they  rolled  on 
top  of  the  dead  one  as  though  nothing  had  happened.  What 
an  opportunity  to  get  another  one !  If  there  had  been  a 
chance  to  mark  our  "fish"  without  getting  stove  by  the 
others,  and  cutting  loose  as  we  did  in  a  former  case,  we 
could  have  killed  another  and  another;  but  that  was  im- 
possible, so  a  "waif"  was  set  for  the  second  boat,  and  on 

242 


A  DEEP-SEA  SPERM  WHALE  HUNT 

they  came  under  oars.  And  how  the  bully  boys  rowed,  for 
the  cry  had  gone  up  that  we  were  stove,  and  they  pulled 
to  save  our  lives. 

As  they  got  close,  we  urged  them  with  our  cheers  and 
cries  to  go  in  and  show  what  they  were  good  for.  Straight 
ahead  they  shot  onto  the  "bunch,"  and  just  as  they  almost 
touched  one  that  they  had  picked  out,  there  was  the  curve 
of  an  iron  through  the  air;  the  next  minute  they  were  going 
like  the  wind  with  the  whale's  flukes  just  clearing  the  stern, 
throwing  spray  in  every  direction. 

The  second  mate,  as  cool  as  a  cucumber  and  with  a  happy 
smile  on  his  face,  stood  in  the  bow  crouched  down  to  keep 
as  dry  as  possible,  and  with  his  bomb  gun  under  his  arm 
was  yelling,  "Haul  in  on  the  line !"  There  was  no  slacking 
our  speed  for  him,  with  half  a  chance  to  get  in  a  shot!  • 

By  night  two  whales  were  being  worked  on.  That  day's 
excitement  and  sport  was  worth  a  hundred  dollars  to  me, 
for  the  whole  thing  was  truly  marvelous  and  it  fully  com- 
pensates for  all  the  discomfort  and  privation  that  I  have 
felt 

The  cutting  in  and  trying  out  of  the  blubber  is  a  prosy 
job,  and  nasty  is  no  name  for  it.  All  hands  strip  down  to 
a  shirt,  a  pair  of  overalls  rolled  up  to  the  knees,  showing 
bare  shins  and  sockless  feet  in  large  brogans,  and  in  we  go 
— grease  from  head  to  foot — day  and  night  until  the  whale 
is  all  cut  safely  on  board.  If  we  tarried,  bad  weather  would 
no  doubt  deprive  us  of  our  spoil. 

It  gives  you  a  funny  sensation  at  first  to  get  into  a  deck- 
ful  of  blubber,  with  the  slimy  stuff  around  your  exposed 
cuticle,  and  oil  squashing  out  of  your  shoes  at  every  step. 
But  I  am  getting  used  to  that  now,  and  I  feel  like  a  veteran. 
.  .  .  The  try-works  are  run  day  and  night,  while  there  is 
blubber  to  feed  them,  and  the  refuse  scrap  is  all  the  fuel 
they  need,  so  it  is  very  economical.  They  consist  of  two 
large  caldrons  mounted  in  brick  work,  near  the  center  of 
the  ship,  and  the  whole  structure  is  about  six  feet  high.  In 

243 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

the  dark,  with  the  flame  roaring  out  of  the  short  chimneys 
and  torches  stuck  on  poles  about  the  deck  to  give  light, 
we  must  form  an  interesting  spectacle.  The  men,  moving 
about  the  deck  under  the  peculiar  illumination,  look  like 
conspirators  in  a  comic  opera. 


CHAPTER  XXI 
THE  RIGHT  WHALE  AND  BOWHEAD 

WHALING  began  more  than  a  thousand  years 
ago  in  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  on  the  coast  of 
Spain.      The   Basques,   who  were  the  first 
hunters,   soon  learned  that  a  certain  kind  of  whale, 
among  the  hundreds  which  came  into  the  bay,  yielded 
finer  baleen  and  a  greater  amount  of  oil  than  any 
other  and  therefore  it  was  said  to  be  the  "right  whale 
to  kill." 

In  later  years  other  species  were  gradually  recog- 
nized, but  the  name  "right  whale"  clung  to  the  ani- 
mal which  was  first  hunted  and  thus  it  is  known  to- 
day. The  scientific  name,  Eubalccna  glacialis,  be- 
stowed upon  it  in  1789  by  the  Abbe  Bonnaterre,  is 
hardly  appropriate,  for  the  whale  is  not  a  lover  of 
cold  and  does  not  go  into  the  icy  waters  of  the  far 
north  or  south. 

As  years  went  by  and  right  whales  began  to  de- 
crease in  numbers,  the  hunters  wandered  afar  and  dis- 
covered in  the  waters  about  Davis  Strait  and  Green- 
land another  whale  which  was  only  a  larger  edition 
of  the  first  and  which  eventually  became  known  as 
the  Greenland  right  whale,  or  bowhead;  its  smaller 
relative  was  then  distinguished  from  it  as  the  North 
Atlantic  right  whale. 

245 


S1-' 


OS    OJ 

§1 
"• 


_  . 

II 


«*-  o 

04: 

S  c 

3   O 


-a 


THE  RIGHT  WHALE  AND  BOWHEAD 

The  bowhead  is  appropriately  named  because  the 
fore  part  of  the  head  is  arched  in  almost  a  half-circle 
to  make  room  for  the  enormous  baleen  which  hangs 
in  the  mouth.  This  sometimes  reaches  a  length  of 
fourteen  feet,  and  is  so  exceedingly  fine  and  elastic 


A  small  (calf)    right  whale  on  the  beach  at  Amagansett,  L.  I. 
Note  that  no  dorsal  fin  is  present  in  this  species. 

that  until  recent  years  it  often  sold  for  $4  or  $5  per 
pound. 

Since  an  average  sized  bowhead  yields  2,000 
pounds l  of  baleen,  a  single  animal  was  thus  worth 
$8,000  or  $10,000,  and  if  a  ship  took  two  or  three 
whales  each  season  a  profitable  voyage  was  insured. 

1  A  large  whale  sometimes  yields  3000  pounds. 

247 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

Although  the  baleen  of  the  smaller  right  whale  is 
of  excellent  quality,  it  seldom  exceeds  nine  feet  in 
length  and  consequently  this  species  is  not  so  valuable 
as  its  Arctic  relative. 

Whalebone  is  used  principally  in  corsets,  dress  stays, 
whips,  and  other  articles  where  strength  and  elasticity 
are  required,  but  a  few  years  ago  several  substitutes, 
such  as  "featherbone,"  "near-bone,"  etc.,  were  per- 
fected; since  some  of  these  proved  fully  as  good  as, 
and  were  very  much  cheaper  than,  baleen,  it  was  no 
longer  profitable  to  outfit  expensive  vessels  and  Arctic 
whaling  abruptly  ended. 

Both  the  bowhead  and  right  whale  live  upon  minute 
crustaceans,  called  "brit,"  which  are  strained  out  by 
means  of  the  mat  of  bristles  on  the  inner  side  of  the 
baleen  plates;  when  the  mouth  is  closed  the  whale- 
bone folds  back  on  both  sides  of  the  tongue,  but 
straightens  out  again  as  the  great  lower  jaw  is 
dropped. 

On  the  extreme  end  of  the  snout  the  right  whale 
always  has  an  oval  roughened  area,  some  two  feet  in 
length,  called  the  "bonnet."  This  growth  is  produced 
by  whale  lice  (Cyamus)  and  barnacles  (Coronula), 
and  although  it  is  never  absent  in  this  species  it  is  not 
found  on  the  bowhead.  Neither  of  these  whales  has 
a  dorsal  fin  or  folds  on  the  ventral  surface  of  the  body, 
because  their  heads  are  so  proportionately  large  that 
it  is  not  necessary  to  increase  the  throat  and  mouth 
capacity  by  any  external  modifications. 

The  right  whale  is  found  only  in  temperate  waters 
and  does  not  go  into  the  far  north  or  south.  It  is 

248 


THE  RIGHT  WHALE  AND  BOWHEAD 

frequently  taken  by  the  shore  whalers  on  the  coasts 
of  Japan,  Australia,  and  South  America,  and  is  much 
less  timid  than  the  bowhead ;  it  is  also  much  quicker 
in  its  movements  and  is  consequently  a  more  danger- 
ous whale  to  attack  for  the  men  who  hunt  in  small 
boats  with  a  hand  harpoon  and  lance. 

The  bowhead,  on  the  contrary,  is  exceedingly  diffi- 
cult to  approach  and  very  slow  in  its  movements.  It 
is  exclusively  a  whale  of  the  northern  hemisphere, 
found  only  in  the  waters  of  the  Arctic  Ocean,  Green- 
land, Hudson's  Bay,  and  the  Bering  and  Okhotsk  Seas. 

The  finest  bowhead  grounds  of  today  are  those 
north  of  Bering  Strait ;  as  the  ice  breaks  in  the  spring 
the  whales  follo\v  the  coast  eastward,  past  Point  Bar- 
row, Alaska,  as  far  as  Banks  Land.  In  the  fall  they 
again  pass  Point  Barrow,  going  westward  toward 
\Yrangle  Island,  off  the  Siberian  Coast. 

Until  Arctic  whaling  ceased,  the  ships  used  to  leave 
San  Francisco  or  Seattle  in  time  to  arrive  at  Point 
Barrow  when  the  ice  had  broken  sufficiently  to  allow 
them  to  smash  their  way  through,  and  then  cruise 
about  under  sail  or  tie  up  to  the  floe-ice  where  they 
could  watch  for  whales  from  the  masthead.  The  bow- 
heads  have  such  acute  hearing  and  are  so  very  timid 
that  if  the  vessels  use  steam  the  propellers  would  be 
heard  at  a  long  distance  and  a  whale  would  never  be 
seen. 

As  soon  as  a  whale  is  sighted,  two  or  three  small 
boats  are  lowered  and  each  endeavors  to  be  the  first 
to  reach  the  animal.  The  bowhead's  blowholes  are 
situated  on  the  summit  of  a  prominent  bunch  and 

249 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

immediately  behind  them  is  a  deep  concavity  over  the 
base  of  the  skull,  and  the  "neck."  When  the  whale 
lies  at  the  surface  only  the  blowholes  and  back  show 
above  water,  and  the  attacking  boat,  coming  from  be- 
hind, endeavors  to  sail  directly  over  the  submerged 
neck.  As  the  boat  crosses  the  whale,  the  harpooner 


Stripping  the  blubber  from  the  large  right  whale  at  Amagansett. 
This  specimen  was  fifty-four  feet  long  and  the  largest  that 
has  yet  been  scientifically  recorded. 

thrusts  a  hand  bomb-iron  into  the  body ;  the  bomb  ex- 
plodes and  plows  its  way  into  the  backbone,  often 
killing  the  animal  almost  instantly. 

The  most  difficult  part  of  the  work  is  to  approach 
so  noiselessly  that  the  boat  can  cross  the  neck  and 
place  the  bomb  harpoon  properly.  If  the  whale  is  not 
killed  at  once  it  will  usually  run  at  considerable  speed 
and,  perhaps,  dive  under  an  ice-floe,  in  which  case,  if 
the  boat  does  not  carry  sufficient  line,  the  rope  must 
be  cut  or  certain  destruction  follows. 

250 


THE  RIGHT  WHALE  AND  BOWHEAD 

As  far  back  as  tradition  goes,  the  Eskimos  of 
northern  Alaska  have  been  a  race  of  mighty  hunters 
and  whalemen.  At  the  largest  villages,  near  every 
cape  and  headland,  the  passing  of  the  dark  days  of 
winter  marked  the  preparations  for  the  great  ''devil 
dance,"  the  invariable  prelude  to  the  spring  whale 
hunt.  About  April  i,  all  the  able-bodied  men  of  the 
village  would  build  across  the  ice  to  the  water  a  road 
over  which  they  might  haul  their  boats  and  sleds. 
Their  gear,  consisting  of  a  few  fathoms  of  walrus- 
hide  line  fitted  with  sealskin  bladders  and  tied  to  a 
short  flint-headed  spear,  was  primitive  enough,  but  ef- 
fective. 

On  the  appearance  of  a  bowhead  all  the  boats  took 
up  a  position  in  some  comfortable  nook  along  the 
edge  of  the  ice-floe.  When  the  whale  came  near  a 
boat,  the  head  man,  whose  place  was  usually  in  the 
stern,  turned  the  canoe  head-on  toward  the  ice  and 
sang  the  great  death  song,  handed  down  from  some 
famous  whale-killing  ancestor.  This  consumed  fifteen 
or  twenty  minutes  and  then  the  harpooner  thrust  his 
flint-headed  spear  into  the  whale,  doing  little  except 
frighten  it  nearly  to  death. 

As  it  passed  the  next  canoe  the  same  performance, 
without  the  song,  was  repeated,  continuing  until  the 
number  of  skin  pokes  made  it  impossible  for  the  whale 
to  dive.  Then  the  natives  paddled  up  to  finish  the 
animal  with  their  flint-headed  killing  lances. 

When  the  whale  was  dead  a  slip,  or  runway,  had  to 
be  cut  to  the  edge  of  the  water  and  the  carcass  se- 
cured by  walrus-hide  lines  passed  round  a  rude  wind- 

251 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

lass  constructed  of  a  rounded  cake  of  ice  and  a  piece 
of  driftwood.  Then  the  huge  body  could  be  hoisted 
up,  or,  if  the  edge  of  the  ice  was  too  rough,  cut  in 
while  rolling  over  and  over  in  the  water.  The  meat, 
blubber,  "black  skin/'  and  bone  were  equally  divided 


The  Amagansett  whale  covered  with  ice  after  the  blubber  had 
been  stripped  off  the  carcass. 


and  sent  ashore  on  sleds,  where  they  could  be  dressed 
and   prepared   for   the   winter. 

The  advent  of  the  white  man  to  engage  in  beach, 
or  floe,  whaling  was  a  momentous  event  for  the  na- 
tives of  northern  Alaska  and  was  the  beginning  of 
the  end  of  their  age-old  methods.  The  first  attempts 
made  at  Point  Barrow  in  1884  were  without  result,  but 
two  years  later,  under  the  Pacific  Steam  Whaling  Com- 
pany, a  successful  footing  was  gained  and  the  Eskimos 

252 


THE  RIGHT  WHALE  AND  BOWHEAD 

began  to  adopt  the  white  man's  guns,  bombs,  and 
other  gear. 

The  changes  introduced  by  the  white  man  were  pro- 
found and  the  Eskimo  of  today  has  almost  completely 
adopted  his  methods  and  materials;  even  the  native 
boat — the  only  practical  one  for  floe  whaling — has 
been  modified;  the  ancient  superstitions  are  gone  and 
the  Eskimos  have  acquired  a  taste  for  the  luxuries 
of  civilization.  Trading  stations  have  been  established 
at  various  points  along  the  Arctic  coast.  Point  Bar- 
row boasts  of  an  extensive  native  village  besides  sev- 
eral white  residents,  and  further  to  the  eastward  the 
whalers  often  wintered  at  Herschel  Island,  increasing 
the  profits  of  the  voyage  by  trade  in  furs. 

But  bowhead  whaling  is  almost  a  thing  of  the  past. 
The  present  low  price  of  baleen  for  either  white  man 
or  Eskimo,  and  the  closed  season  on  fur  have  sealed 
the  fate  of  the  Arctic  whaler. 

The  hunt  for  right  whales  still  goes  on  but  has  been 
robbed  of  much  of  its  picturesqueness,  for  the  shore 
whalers  soon  learned  that  the  animals  could  be  shot 
with  the  harpoon-gun  from  their  little  steamers.  But 
since  the  baleen  has  fallen  in  price  they  are  not  of  very 
much  greater  value  than  the  large  fin  whales;  in  Japan 
a  humpback  is  really  more  appreciated  because  its 
flesh  is  much  better  for  eating  than  that  of  any  other 
species. 

Right  whales  are  often  taken  on  the  coast  of  Long 
Island,  N.  Y.,  and  even  now,  at  Amagansett,  a  whale- 
boat  is  kept  in  readiness  to  be  launched  whenever 
a  spout  is  seen.  In  February,  1907,  a  crew  under  the 

253 


THE  RIGHT  WHALE  AND  BOWHEAD 

leadership  of  Captain  Josh  Edwards  killed  a  large 
right  whale,  the  skeleton  and  baleen  of  which  were 
secured  for  the  Museum  at  an  expense  of  $3,200. 

Captain  Josh,  as  he  was  known  to  all  the  country 
near  and  far,  was  a  genial  old  man,  radiating  good 
nature — a  typical  whaler  of  the  old  school.  Although 
seventy-six  years  had  whitened  his  hair,  when  the  cry 
of  "Ah!  Blow-o-o-o!"  had  sounded  through  the  vil- 
lage, he  forgot  his  age  and  was  in  the  first  boat  to  leave 
the  beach  on  the  five-mile  chase.  And  it  was  his  arm, 
still  strong  under  the  weight  of  years,  which  sent  the 
keen-edged  lance  at  the  first  thrust  straight  into  the 
lungs  of  the  whale. 

Mr.  James  L.  Clark,  formerly  of  the  Museum,  and 
myself,  as  soon  as  word  of  the  whale  was  received, 
hastened  to  Amagansett,  where  we  had  two  weeks  of 
the  hardest  sort  of  work  to  secure  the  skeleton. 

The  carcass  was  beached  just  at  the  edge  of  low 
tide,  where  surf  was  continually  breaking  over  it, 
and  we  had  to  stand  in  freezing  water  while  cutting 
away  at  the  huge  mass  of  flesh  which  encased  the 
bones. 

The  temperature  was  +12°,  and,  to  add  to  our  dif- 
ficulties, on  the  second  day  a  terrific  storm  almost 
buried  the  carcass  in  sand  so  that  it  was  necessary 
to  build  a  breakwater  of  flesh  against  the  surf,  and 
laboriously  dig  out  the  skeleton  bone  by  bone. 

The  Amagansett  whale  was  an  old  female,  fifty- four 
feet  long,  and  proved  to  be  the  largest  specimen  which 
had  then  been  recorded.  On  the  same  day  that  it 
was  captured,  a  smaller  thirty-eight-foot  whale,  evi- 

255  ' 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

dently  the  calf  of  the  first,  was  killed  at  Wainscott, 
Long  Island.  This  skeleton  was  also  secured,  and 
was  eventually  sent  to  London,  while  the  Amagansett 
whale  with  its  baleen  remains  in  the  Museum  to  be 
mounted  in  the  Hall  of  Water  Mammals.  Just  a 


The  baleen  of  a  right  whale.    This  specimen  had  whalebone  eight 
feet  long. 

year  later  another  right  whale,  a  twenty-eight-foot 
calf,  was  killed  at  Amagansett,  but  its  carcass  was  lost 
in  a  storm. 

As  yet  it  is  impossible  to  say  with  authority  just 
how  many  species  of  right  whales  exist.  Some  years 
ago  Lieutenant  Maury,  after  studying  the  daily  logs  of 
hundreds  of  whaling  vessels,  prepared  a  chart  which 
appears  to  show  that  the  animals  do  not  cross  the 

256 


THE  RIGHT  WHALE  AND  BOWHEAD 

belt  of  tropical  water  at  the  Equator,  and  that  the 
right  whales  of  the  northern  and  southern  hemispheres 
are  thus  definitely  separated.  Acting  upon  the  suppo- 
sition that  since  there  could  be  no  communication  be- 
tween them  these  whales  must  certainly  have  become 
differentiated  enough  to  form  distinct  species,  each 
has  been  given  a  scientific  name. 

In  the  light  of  present  knowledge,  however,  this 
apparent  separation  cannot  be  considered  sufficient 
ground  for  dividing  the  right  whales  into  northern  and 
southern  species,  unless  a  critical  comparison  of  their 
external  and  internal  anatomy  reveals  constant  dif- 
ferences. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

THE  BOTTLENOSE  WHALE  AND  HOW  IT  IS 
HUNTED 

THERE  is  a  strange  and  interesting  family  of 
small-toothed  whales  known  as  the  ziphioids, 
which  owes  its  commercial  importance  to  a  sin- 
gle species,  the  bottlenose.  This  whale  seldom  reaches 
a  greater  length  than  thirty  feet,  and  takes  its  name 
from  the  bottle-like  snout  or  beak  which,  at  the  ex- 
treme tip  of  the  lower  jaw,  bears  two  small  pointed 
teeth  almost  concealed  in  the  gum. 

These  whales  were  never  extensively  hunted  until 
1882,  when  Captain  David  Gray  went  north  in  the 
schooner  Eclipse  and  returned  with  a  cargo  of  oil 
which  demonstrated  the  profits  of  the  venture.  The 
next  year  he  got  two  hundred  bottlenoses  and  it  was 
not  long  before  the  Norwegians  began  operations  on 
a  large  scale.  In  1891,  from  Norway  alone,  seventy 
ships  sailed  for  bottlenoses  and  killed  a  total  of  three 
thousand  animals.  In  later  years  the  business  declined 
because  of  the  scarcity  of  whales  and  the  difficulties 
and  dangers  of  the  hunt,  for  in  no  branch  of  modern 
whaling  is  there  such  a  large  percentage  of  fatal 
accidents. 

The  bottlenose  ships  are  small  schooners  of  thirty 
to  fifty  tons,  carrying  several  small  boats  and  usually 

258 


HUNTING  THE  BOTTLENOSE  WHALE 

armed  with  six  guns  fore  and  aft;  in  addition,  each 
boat  has  a  gun  mounted  on  the  very  bow.  The  guns 
are  much  smaller  than  those  of  the  steam  whalers 
and  shoot  harpoons  only  three  feet  long,  with  several 
strong  barbs  but  without  explosive  points.  Each  iron 
carries  with  it  twenty  or  thirty  fathoms  of  "forerun- 
ner," which  leads  to  the  main  five-hundred-fathom  line 
coiled  in  a  tub  at  the  stern  of  the  small  boat.  As 
soon  as  a  whale  has  been  struck,  a  turn  of  the  rope 
is  thrown  about  a  small  post  called  the  "puller,"  to 
check  the  speed  of  the  running  line.  The  small  boats 
carry  four  sailors  each — two  at  the  oars,  one  to  steer, 
and  one  at  the  gun. 

The  work  in  the  bitter  cold  and  freezing  water,  to 
say  nothing  of  the  ever-present  possibility  of  having 
one's  head,  arm,  or  leg  shorn  clean  off  by  the  whizzing 
rope,  robs  bottlenose  hunting  of  its  attractiveness, 
and  it  is  difficult,  at  present,  to  find  competent  men 
who  will  ship  even  for  a  short  cruise.  Therefore 
these  whales  have  been  but  little  studied  and  there 
is  much  to  learn  about  their  habits  and  family  life. 

Most  of  our  present  knowledge  is  due  to  the  ob- 
servations of  Captain  David  Gray  and  Mr.  Axel  Oh- 
lin,  who  in  1891  spent  two  years  on  a  bottlenose  ves- 
sel. According  to  Mr.  Ohlin,  when  a  herd  of  whales 
is  sighted,  if  it  will  not  come  within  range  of  the  ship, 
one  or  two  boats  are  launched  which  slip  quietly 
toward  the  animals.  Generally  the  whales  spout  sev- 
eral times  at  intervals  of  thirty  or  forty  seconds  and 
then  sound,  to  remain  below  sometimes  for  an  hour 
or  more.  The  boats  lie  to  where  the  school  has  dis- 

259 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

appeared  and  when  the  whales  again  rise  to  the  sur- 
face are  quietly  swung  about  until  the  gunner  gets 
a  fair  shot. 

If  the  harpoon  misses,  which  often  happens  in  a 
choppy  sea,  the  gun  is  again  loaded  and  the  line  hauled 
in  with  the  greatest  haste.  Instead  of  being  fright- 
ened by  the  report,  the  whale's  curiosity  is  usually 
aroused,  and  an  opportunity  for  a  second  shot  is  soon 
given. 

When  a  bottlenose  has  been  hit,  the  harpooner  im- 
mediately twists  the  line  several  times  around  the 
puller,  the  steersman  makes  sure  that  the  rope  is  clear, 
and  one  of  the  oarsmen  hoists  a  flag  to  signal  the 
other  boats  or  the  ship  to  stand  by  in  case  of  acci- 
dent. 

The  whale  usually  dives  straight  downward  at  tre- 
mendous speed  and  has  been  known  to  take  out  five 
hundred  fathoms  of  line  in  two  minutes.  At  such 
times,  no  matter  how  carefully  the  harpoon  rope  may 
have  been  coiled  in  the  stern,  there  is  great  danger 
that  it  may  run  foul  or  get  entangled.  If  a  knot  is 
formed,  the  line  must  be  cut  instantly  or  the  boat  will 
be  dragged  under  water.  Not  infrequently  the  line 
gets  looped  about  the  body  of  one  of  the  sailors  and 
the  man  is  either  killed  or  loses  an  arm  or  leg. 

When  the  bottlenose  reappears  after  the  first  rush, 
usually  he  is  almost  exhausted  and  lies  quietly  at  the 
surface  spouting  frequently.  A  second  boat  then  tries 
to  get  near  enough  for  a  shot  or  to  thrust  a  hand 
lance  into  the  whale's  lungs. 

Like  all  cetaceans,  just  before  the  bottlenose  dies 
260 


HUNTING  THE  BOTTLENOSE  WHALE 

it  goes  into  the  death  flurry  and  plunges  back  and 
forth  lashing  the  water  into  foam  or  throwing  its  body 
into  the  air.  It  is  well  to  keep  at  a  safe  distance 
during  the  flurry  or  a  stove  boat  will  result. 

When  the  whale  has  been  killed,  the  freezing  line 
is  hauled  in  and  the  animal  towed  to  the  vessel  to 
be  cut  in.  The  blubber  is  stripped  off  as  the  body 
rolls  over,  is  sliced  into  thin  sections,  and  thrown  into 
iron  cisterns  in  the  ship's  hold;  the  carcass  is  then 
left  to  sink. 

A  full-grown  male  bottlenose  will  yield  about  two 
tons  of  oil  and  two  hundredweight  of  spermaceti, 
which  is  contained  in  the  "forehead"  in  the  same  rela- 
tive position  as  the  "case"  of  the  sperm  whale.  The 
great  masses  of  fat  at  the  bases  of  the  jawbones  are 
also  of  considerable  value.  An  analysis  of  the  bot- 
tlenose oil  and  spermaceti  shows  it  to  be  as  fine  in 
quality  as  that  of  the  sperm,  and  the  whales  yield  a 
large  amount  considering  their  small  size. 

The  tremendous  strength  and  endurance  of  the  bot- 
tlenose are  proverbial  and  I  doubt  if  many  of  the  ex- 
traordinary tales  which  one  hears  in  the  cabins  of 
the  shore  whaling  vessels  are  greatly  exaggerated.  It 
seems  certain  that  this  whale  can,  and  does,  remain 
under  water  longer  than  any  other  large  cetacean, 
and  its  strength  and  endurance  in  proportion  to  its 
size  are  probably  surpassed  only  by  the  killer  (Orca 
orca). 

Bottlenose  whales  are  said  to  throw  their  entire 
bodies  into  the  air,  their  powerful  flukes  giving  such 
tremendous  power  to  the  leap  that  they  take  the  water 

261 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

again  headfirst  instead  of  falling  back  helplessly  on 
their  sides. 

The  animals  are  gregarious  and  usually  travel  in 
herds  of  five  to  ten  individuals;  more  than  ten  are 
rare,  but  many  different  schools  may  be  in  sight  at 
the  same  time,  separated  from  each  other  by  only  a 
short  distance.  The  old  bulls  sometimes  lead  a  soli- 
tary life,  but  herds  of  young  bulls,  cows,  and  calves, 
led  by  a  bull,  are  often  seen. 

The  differences  of  age  and  sex  can  easily  be  de- 
termined both  by  the  color  and  the  shape  of  the  head. 
The  young  vary  from  black  to  light  brown  in  the 
older  individuals  and  females,  and  old  bulls  are  often 
almost  yellow,  with  much  white  about  the  head  and 
neck. 

The  mating  period  appears  to  be  in  April  or  May 
and  the  period  of  gestation  about  twelve  months, 
although  there  is  little  definite  information  concerning 
breeding  habits.  Like  all  cetaceans,  the  young  are  very 
large  at  birth,  and  Captain  Gray  writes  that  from  a 
female  bottlenose  twenty-nine  feet  long  he  removed 
a  foetus  ten  feet  in  length  by  five  feet  six  inches  in  cir- 
cumference. A  foetus  of  slightly  larger  size  has  also 
been  recorded  by  Guldberg. 

The  hearing  of  the  bottlenose  is  very  acute  and 
a  school  of  whales  will  detect  the  sound  of  a  ship's 
propeller  at  a  long  distance,  but  instead  of  being 
frightened,  the  animals  often  surround  the  ship  or 
boats  and  exhibit  the  greatest  curiosity;  nor  will  they 
leave  until  they  have  thoroughly  examined  the  strange 
object. 

262 


HUNTING  THE  BOTTLENOSE  WHALE 

A  herd  will  never  leave  a  wounded  comrade  while 
it  is  still  alive,  but  swim  away  as  soon  as  it  is  dead. 
The  hunters  often  take  advantage  of  this  loyalty,  after 
they  are  fast  to  a  bottlenose,  by  harpooning  a  second 
before  the  first  is  killed.  The  whales  crowd  about 
the  wounded  ones,  coming  in  the  most  mysterious 
manner  from  all  parts  of  the  compass,  and  sometimes 
ten  or  fifteen  can  be  taken  before  the  school  is  lost. 

The  bottlenose  appears  to  feed  exclusively  upon  a 
bluish-white  cuttlefish  about  six  inches  long,  for  noth- 
ing else  has  been  taken  from  their  stomachs  as  far  as 
I  have  been  able  to  learn.  Like  the  orca  and  sperm 
whale,  when  a  bottlenose  is  killed  it  almost  always 
ejects  large  quantities  of  cuttlefish  from  its  mouth. 
Judging  by  the  length  of  time  the  animals  remain 
under  water  and  their  heavy  spouts  when  reappearing, 
they  must  have  to  go  to  a  great  depth  to  find  their 
food.  The  two  minute  teeth  at  the  tip  of  the  lower 
jaw  can  be  of  no  assistance  whatever  in  feeding  and 
will  undoubtedly  eventually  disappear  altogether. 

The  bottlenose  is  common  in  the  North  Atlantic 
and  Arctic  Oceans,  and  although  rare  on  the  Finmark 
coast  are  numerous  about  Spitzbergen,  Iceland,  Nova 
Zembla,  East  and  West  Greenland,  Davis  Straits,  and 
Labrador.  Near  the  Faroe  Islands  and  Iceland  they 
have  been  most  relentlessly  persecuted  and  hundreds 
of  whales  are  taken  annually. 

Specimens  have  never  been  recorded  from  the  Pa- 
cific, but  Captains  H.  G.  Melsom  and  Fred  Olsen  as- 
sured me  that  they  had  seen  bottlenoses  along  the 
northern  coast  of  Japan  not  far  from  Aikawa.  Whale- 

263 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

men  of  their  experience  who  have  hunted  the  animals 
in  the  Atlantic  could  hardly  be  mistaken,  and  I  feel 
certain  that  before  long  specimens  will  be  taken  in 
Pacific  waters. 

Whether  or  not  they  will  prove  to  be  specifically 
identical  with  the  Atlantic  bottlenose  it  is,  of  course, 
impossible  to  say.  So  far  as  present  information  ex- 
tends there  appears  to  be  but  a  sinjle  species,  the 
Hypcroodon  rostratum,  described  by  Miiller  in  1776. 
Because  of  the  great  changes  which  age  and  sex  pro- 
duce in  color  and  in  the  shape  of  the  head,  numerous 
names  have  been  given  to  individuals  which  have  all 
proved  to  be  specifically  identical  with  the  common 
form,  H.  rostratum. 

Although  the  bottlenose  is  the  only  commercially 
important  member  of  the  family  Ziphiidae,  and  is  con- 
sequently the  best  known,  the  other  species  of  this 
strange  group  are  not  less  interesting.  All  the  ziphi- 
oids  are  characterized  by  the  tail  which  has  no  notch 
in  the  center  and  by  the  one  or  two  pairs  of  teeth 
in  the  lower  jaw,  near  or  at  the  end,  which  sometimes 
develop  in  a  most  unusual  way. 

In  one  species,  Layard's  whale  (Mesoplodon  lay- 
ardi),  the  two  flat,  strap-like  teeth  in  the  lower  jaw 
grow  upward  to  a  height  of  eight  or  ten  inches  and 
sometimes  bend  over  the  long  pointed  snout,  prevent- 
ing the  animal  from  opening  its  mouth  more  than  an 
inch  or  two.  How  the  whale  feeds  when  the  jaws 
are  thus  locked  is  a  mystery. 

In  one  species,  Mcsoplodon  grayi,  besides  the  pair 
of  functional  teeth  near  the  end  of  the  lower  jaw,  a 

264 


HUNTING  THE  BOTTLENOSE  WHALE 

row  of  small  teeth  are  present  on  either  side,  entirely 
embedded  in  the  gum  of  the  upper  jaw.  These  never 
appear  on  the  surface,  even  in  the  oldest  animals,  and 
are  similar  to  the  teeth  concealed  in  the  upper  jaw 
of  the  sperm  whale.  In  ancient  times  they  were  un- 
doubtedly all  well  developed,  but  as  the  food  of  the 
whales  changed,  and  the  teeth  became  of  less  and 
less  importance,  they  gradually  began  to  disappear. 

The  front  portion  of  the  skull  of  all  the  ziphioid 
whales  is  produced  in  the  form  of  a  long  cylinder  of 
<bone  which,  although  open  in  the  middle  in  young 
•specimens,  gradually  fills  up  by  ossification  of  the  cen- 
tral cartilage  and  eventually  becomes  of  almost  flinty 
hardness. 

Because  of  the  extreme  solidity  of  this  portion  of 
the  skull  it  fossilizes  very  perfectly.  When  digging 
for  the  fortifications  about  the  city  of  Antwerp  hun- 
dreds of  these  bones  and  teeth  were  found,  and  many 
have  been  taken  from  the  "Red  Crag"  deposits  in 
England. 

Ziphioid  whales  are  evidently  an  ancient  group 
which  was  once  very  widely  distributed.  They  are 
found  today  in  the  greatest  numbers  in  the  seas  about 
New  Zealand  and  Australia,  but  single  specimens  are 
continually  appearing  unexpectedly  in  almost  every 
part  of  the  world. 

Recently  a  specimen  was  washed  ashore  on  the  coast 
of  New  Jersey  and  the  skeleton  sent  to  me  for  identi- 
fication. I  was  surprised  to  find  that  it  represented 
a  species,  Mesoplodon  densirostris,  which  before  had 
been  recorded  only  near  New  Zealand. 

265 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

When  in  Japan  in  1910  I  saw  a  photograph  of  a 
whale  which  was  said  to  occur  at  certain  times  of  the 
year  only  in  Tokyo  Bay,  and  when  a  skeleton  was 
finally  secured  for  the  American  Museum  of  Natural 
History,  the  whale  was  found  to  represent  an  ex- 
ceedingly rare  species,  Bcrardius  bairdi,  which  had 
been  taken  only  in  Alaskan  waters. 

Thus,  it  is  evident  that  at  the  present  time  we  know 
almost  nothing  about  the  distribution  of  these  strange 
whales.  Every  year  or  two  new  species  are  being  dis- 
covered and  there  is  evidence  to  show  that  the  family, 
as  it  now  exists,  is  the  last  survivor  of  a  once  numer- 
ous group. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

HUNTING   WHITE   WHALES    IN    THE 
ST.  LAWRENCE  RIVER 

THE  porpoises  and  dolphins  which  form  the 
family  Delphinidae  are  in  all  essential  respects 
toothed  whales.1 

The  name  "porpoise"  is  usually  applied  to  the 
round-headed  members  of  the  family,  while  "dolphin" 
distinguishes  those  which  have  pointed  snouts  or 
beaks. 

The  fish  (Coryphcuna),  properly  called  dolphin, 
which  passes  through  brilliant  changes  of  color  when 
dying,  is  often  confused  with  the  cetacean  because  of 
its  name,  although,  of  course,  they  are  not  related  in 
the  remotest  degree.  Because  of  this  confusion  I  sel- 
dom use  the  name  dolphin  but  speak  of  all  members 
of  the  group  as  porpoises. 

There  are  so  many  species  of  porpoises  that  it 
would  not  be  possible  in  a  book  of  this  character  to 
describe  them  all;  therefore,  as  with  the  whales,  only 
those  of  commercial  importance  will  be  considered. 
Most  of  the  members  of  this  family  are  small,  only 
the  killer  whale  (see  Chapter  XVIII)  and  the  black- 
fish  exceeding  twenty  feet  in  length. 

1 A  glance  at  the  classification  in  the  Appendix  will  explain 
their  relationship  to  other  cetaceans. 

267 


HUNTING  WHITE  WHALES 

The  white  porpoise,  or  white  whale  as  it  is  more 
usually  called,  is  not  only  the  most  beautiful  but  also 
one  of  the  most  important  members  of  the  family,  for 
it  is  this  animal  which  furnishes  much  of  the  porpoise 
hide  and  porpoise  oil  of  commerce. 

Like  its  nearest  relative,  the  narwhal,  it  is  a  north- 
ern species,  seldom  being  found  where  the  water  is 
far  above  the  freezing  point;  but  during  the  spring 
the  animals  come  into  the  St.  Lawrence  River  by 
thousands  and  some  remain  throughout  the  summer. 

In  early  June  of  1909  I  left  New  York  for  the  lit- 
tle French  town  of  Tadoussac  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Saguenay  River  to  study  these  interesting  cetaceans 
and  secure  skeletons  and  plaster  casts  for  exhibition 
in  the  Museum. 

There  are  a  number  of  French  dwellers  along  the 
St.  Lawrence  River  who  live  by  selling  the  skins 
and  oil  of  the  Marsouin  blanc,  and  arrangements  were 
made  to  hunt  with  one  of  them.  The  day  before,  I 
had  driven  twenty-five  miles  from  Tadoussac  to  the 
porpoise  hunter's  cabin  and  in  the  morning,  shortly 
after  five  o'clock,  my  cameras  were  loaded  into  one 
of  the  canoes  and  we  paddled  around  the  rocky  head- 
land into  the  little  cove  where  the  yawl  from  which 
we  were  to  hunt  lay  at  anchor. 

A  run  of  four  hours  took  us  across  the  St.  Law- 
rence and  we  began  beating  up  the  south  shore  against 
a  strong  head  wind.  It  was  slow  work  and  not  until 
three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  did  we  drop  anchor  in 
a  shallow  cove  at  Apple  Island,  our  destination.  There 
is  a  strong  tide  rip  about  the  eastern  end  of  this  little 

269 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

point  of  land,  and  in  it  the  whales  play  back  and 
forth,  feeding  on  the  small  fish  which  drift  in  with 
the  current.  After  stowing  the  sail,  one  of  the  canoes 
with  two  of  the  men  put  out  from  the  harbor  while 
the  three  of  us  who  remained  climbed  over  the  rocks 
to  the  highest  point  of  the  island. 

The  wind  had  changed  and  blew  strongly  from  the 
southwest,  topping  the  long  swells  with  white  and 
churning  the  waves  into  foam  as  they  broke  along 
the  ragged  shore  line.  Three  or  four  whales  could 
be  seen  some  distance  away  and  the  canoe  headed  for 
them,  as  it  swung  around  the  point,  in  spite  of  the 
rough  water.  With  my  glasses,  I  watched  the  little 
craft  bobbing  about  among  the  whitecaps,  slowly  near- 
ing  the  specter-like  forms  which  rose  every  few  sec- 
onds and  sank,  only  to  appear  again  a  few  feet  far- 
ther on. 

When  they  were  about  one  hundred  yards  away, 
the  men  became  motionless  and  the  boat  drifted  on- 
ward with  the  wind.  The  porpoises  paid  not  the 
slightest  attention  to  the  canoe  and  went  down  only 
a  few  feet  ahead.  As  they  left  the  water  the  man 
in  the  bow  suddenly  leaned  forward  and  with  gun 
ready  waited  the  reappearance  of  the  animals.  They 
came  up  not  twenty  feet  away  and  hardly  had  their 
snowy  heads  appeared  above  the  surface  when  a  thin 
white  line  of  smoke  shot  from  the  gun  and  the  nearest 
whale  threw  itself  high  in  the  air,  falling  back  in  a 
cloud  of  spray.  Instantly  the  canoe  leaped  forward, 
the  man  in  the  bow  balancing  the  harpoon,  but  the 
whale  straightened  out  and  sank  before  he  could 

270 


HUNTING  WHITE  WHALES 

throw  the  iron.  With  disappointed  faces  the  men  re- 
turned and  climbed  the  rock  where  we  were  sitting. 
We  watched  until  six  o'clock  but  no  more  porpoises 
appeared,  and  I  was  glad  when  we  reached  the  boat 
for  the  wind  cut  like  a  knife  as  it  drove  across  the 
hilltop.  The  cabin  was  so  small  that  we  could  not 


The  posterior  part  of  a  white  whale.  The  entire  animal  is  snow 
white  except  for  a  narrow  edging  of  brown  on  the  flukes 
and  flippers.  The  young  of  this  species  are  entirely  brown. 

sit  upright  and  it  was  next  to  impossible  to  move 
when  we  were  all  there  together;  however,  it  was 
warm  and  that  was  something.  After  our  dinner  of 
stew,  made  from  potatoes  and  onions,  we  packed  our- 
selves away  for  the  night,  each  on  a  narrow  board 
which  served  as  a  bunk. 

Next  morning  I  was  awakened  by  the  regular  lap, 
lap;  lap  of  the  water  against  the  bows,  and  knew  that 

271 


WHALE  HUNTING"  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

the  boat  was  already'  under  way.  *  Crawling  down 
from  my  narrow  shelf  I  wriggled"  through  the  hatch- 
way to  the  deck, above.  It  was  a  perfect  morning, 
the  sun  already  an  hour  high  and  a  fresh  breeze  com- 
ing from  .the  west.  We  were  headed  down  the  river 
for  an  island  four  miles  distant,  about  the  lower  end  of 
which,  with  the  glass,  a  large  school  of  whales  could 
be  seen  playing  back  and  forth  in  the  tide  rips.  I 
stretched  out  on  top  of  the  cabin  drinking  in  the  fresh 
salt  air  and  enjoying  the  warm  sunshine  which  was 
doubly  welcome  after  the  raw  wind  of  the  day  before. 

As  we  neared  the  upper  end  of  the  island,  I  heard 
a  confused  murmur  of  sounds,  and  with  a  question 
turned  to  the  porpoise  hunter.  "Myack,"  he  said,  and 
I  sa>v  that  the  shore  was  lined  with  a  great  flock  of 
eider  ducks.  He  threw  the  tiller  over  and  as  we 
drew  in  toward  the  land  one  or  two  stragglers  rose 
and  then,  with  a  perfect  roar  of  wings,  the  whole 
flock  launched  itself  into  the  air.  It  was  a  magnifi- 
cent sight  as  the  great  birds  whirled  past  us,  the  black 
and  white  plumage  of  the  males  flashing  in  the  sun- 
light. I  watched  them  through  my  glasses  until,  with 
a  sudden  graceful  curve,  they  swung  down  clear  to 
the  water  and  were  lost  in  the  blue  wisps  of  fog  which 
still  hung  in  the  air. 

We  sailed  along  abreast  of  the  island  and  dropped 
anchor  in  a  perfect  rock-walled  harbor  at  its  lower  end. 
Not  far  away  in  the  tide  rip  a  school  of  white  whales 
were  darting  back  and  forth  after  the  fleeing  capelan. 

My  excitement  was  at  fever  heat,  for  since  the  water 
was  fairly  smooth  I  was  to  try  my  luck  at  shooting. 

272 


HUNTING  WHITE  WHALES 

When  the  canoe  was  lifted  over  the  side,  we  slid  away 
from  the  yawl,  out  of  the  harbor,  and  into  the  upper 
end  of  the  tide  rip,  with  hardly  a  sound  save  the 
drip  of  water  from  the  paddle  blades.  On  the  gun- 
wale in  front  rested  the  end  of  the  heavy  shotgun 
loaded  with  a  lead  ball,  and  at  the  right  lay  the  slen- 


"A  big  white  fellow   slipped  under  only  a  hundred  feet  away, 
headed   directly  for  us." 

der  harpoon,  the  line  neatly  coiled  and  fastened  to 
a  bulky  cedar  float. 

We  had  hardly  three  hundred  yards  to  paddle  and 
in  a  few  moments  were  in  the  midst  of  the  whales,  the 
short,  metallic  puffs  as  they  spouted  sounding  on 
every  side.  There  were  many  young  animals  in  the 
school,  their  brownish  bodies  showing  in  striking  con- 
trast to  the  snowy  backs  of  the  old  ones,  and  we  drifted 
quietly  among  them,  waiting  to  pick  our  specimen. 
It  was  a  sore  temptation  as  whale  after  whale  passed 
close  beside  us,  and  time  and  again  I  sighted  along 

273 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

the  rusty  barrel  of  the  gun  at  a  swirling  patch  of 
water,  only  to  drop  the  muzzle  as  a  brown  back  ap- 
peared at  the  surface.  The  old  whales  seemed  to 
know  that  danger  lay  in  the  silent  gray  object  which 
had  appeared  so  suddenly  near  them,  and  with  the 
nicest  accuracy  gauged  the  shooting  distance,  keeping 
just  within  the  safety  zone. 

We  floated  along  on  the  current,  passing  most  of 
the  school,  and  headed  for  a  little  group  of  white 
animals  which  were  feeding  a  short  distance  away 
from  the  others.  They  did  not  seem  to  be  disturbed 
as  wre  neared  them,  and  we  hardly  dared  to  breathe 
when  a  big  white  fellowr  slipped  under  only  a  hun- 
dred feet  away,  headed  directly  for  us. 

Up  he  came  with  a  rush  and  down  again,  so  close 
that  we  could  see  the  water  run  in  little  ripples  off  his 
snow-white  back.  My  fingers  trembled  on  the  trigger 
of  the  gun  but  he  was  still  coming  toward  us  and 
in  a  few  seconds  the  telltale  patch  of  green  water 
began  to  smooth  out  right  ahead.  I  fired  at  the 
instant  there  was  a  glint  of  the  snowy  head  over  the 
long  brown  gun  barrel. 

The  shock  of  the  heavy  charge  whirled  me  half 
around  in  the  canoe  and  there  was  barely  time  to 
snatch  the  harpoon  before  we  w7ere  at  the  spot  where 
the  porpoise  was  thrashing  about  on  the  surface  of 
the  water.  At  a  side  thrust  from  the  iron  the  whale 
threw  itself  high  into  the  air,  falling  back  in  a  cloud 
of  spray.  A  mad  rush  to  one  side  and  again  the 
ghostly  form  shot  from  the  water,  the  white  body 
writhing  as  it  fell  back. 

274 


HUNTING  WHITE  WHALES 

The  whale  fought  desperately  to  free  itself,  rush- 
ing from  side  to  side  and  lashing  the  water  into  foam 
with  its  flukes.  We  had  thrown  the  float  overboard 
at  the  first  leap  and  were  waiting  a  short  distance 
away  for  a  second  shot.  The  animal's  struggles  finally 
became  less  violent  and  as  it  lay  on  the  surface  trying 
hard  to  keep  upright  I  fired  a  second  ball  into  its  neck ; 
with  a  last  convulsive  twist  the  beautiful  creature 
slowly  sank.  We  paddled  for  the  buoy  which  was  bob- 
bing about  near  us  and  checked  the  carcass  before  it 
had  gone  far  down,  raising  it  to  the  surface  by  forcing 
the  canoe  ahead. 

The  two  men  in  the  other  boat  had  been  watching 
from  near  the  shore  and  when  they  saw  that  the 
whale  was  dead  paddled  out  to  help  us  tow  it  around 
the  headland  into  the  harbor  near  the  yawl.  We 
beached  it  in  a  sandy  cove  where  the  gray  rock  wall 
rose  in  a  jagged  mass,  making  a  perfect  background 
for  the  white  body,  its  purity  intensified  by  the  bright 
red  streaks  of  blood  which  dripped  from  the  bullet 
holes.  There  was  something  almost  uncanny  about 
the  picture,  the  beautiful,  ghostlike  animal,  a  very 
Spirit  of  the  North,  seeming  strangely  out  of  place 
away  from  its  ice-bound  home. 

Its  body  was  unmarked  by  the  slightest  tinge  of 
color  except  at  the  outer  margin  of  the  tail  which 
was  bordered  with  grayish-brown.  Also  the  short 
broad  fins  or  flippers,  strongly  upcurved  at  their  ends, 
were  edged  with  brown,  becoming  darker  at  the  tips. 
The  small  head,  which,  unlike  most  cetaceans,  joined 
the  body  by  a  distinct  neck,  ended  in  a  short  stubby 

275 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

snout,  or  "lip,"  and  seemed  remarkably  out  of  pro- 
portion to  the  animal's  size.  Each  jaw  was  armed  with 
nine,  rather  weak,  cylindrical  teeth,  the  well-worn  tips 
showing  that  our  specimen  was  fully  adult,  although 
not  old. 


"We  beached  it  in  a  sandy  cove,  where  the  gray  rock  wall  rose 
in  a  jagged  mass,  making  a  perfect  background  for  the  white 
body,  its  purity  intensified  by  the  bright  red  streaks  of  blood 
which  dripped  from  the  bullet  holes." 

Because  the  vertebrae  of  the  neck  are  not  joined  to- 
gether as  in  other  porpoises,  the  white  whale  and 
narwhal  are  placed  in  a  separate  division,  or  sub- 
family of  the  group;  their  relationship  is  also  shown 
in  other  ways,  one  of  which  is  the  absence  in  both  of 
a  dorsal  fin. 

276 


HUNTING  WHITE  WHALES 

While  I  measured  and  photographed  the  porpoise 
I  had  killed,  the  other  men  climbed  the  rocks  to  see 
if  they  could  discover  where  the  school  had  gone.  In 
about  an  hour  they  hurried  back  to  the  cove  and  re- 
ported that  the  whales  were  near  the  upper  end  of 
the  island  following  a  tide  rip  which  swung  in  close 
to  shore.  The  wind,  however,  had  begun  to  freshen 
and  blew  a  perfect  gale  directly  toward  the  island. 

I  was  anxious  to  get  some  pictures  of  the  white 
porpoises,  but  it  would  have  been  useless  to  think  of 
photographing  in  all  that  rush  of  wind  and  spray,  so 
the  four  men  put  off  in  the  canoes  while  I  continued 
work  upon  the  dead  whale.  In  about  three  hours 
they  returned,  each  towing  a  full-grown  porpoise  and 
almost  exhausted.  It  had  been  hard  and  dangerous 
work  to  kill  the  whales  and  bring  them  in,  for  the 
wind  drove  with  tremendous  force  across  the  clear 
stretch  of  river,  catching  the  tops  of  the  waves  and 
whirling  the  spray  like  snow.  We  stayed  at  the  island 
for  three  days,  killing  two  more  porpoises  and  taking 
the  skin,  oil,  and  skeletons.  After  the  blubber  had 
been  scraped  from  the  skins  they  had  a  value,  in  the 
raw  state,  of  about  seven  dollars,  and  a  considerable 
amount  of  oil  was  obtained  from  the  fat.  The  skeletons 
were  what  I  was  particularly  interested  in,  and  with 
four  in  the  hold  of  the  yawl  and  a  freshly  killed  por- 
poise towing  behind,  we  sailed  down  the  river,  past 
the  rocky  entrance  to  the  Saguenay,  and  into  the 
beautiful  harbor  where  three  hundred  years  before 
the  hardy  French  explorers  had  dropped  anchor  and 
on  its  shores  built  the  quaint  little  town  of  Tadoussac. 

277 


CHAPTER  XXIV 
THE  BOTTLENOSE  PORPOISE  IN  CAPTIVITY 

FOR  two  hundred  years  a  porpoise  fishery  has 
been  conducted  in  a  somewhat  desultory  man- 
ner at  Cape  Hatteras,  North  Carolina.  The 
animal  which  forms  the  basis  of  this  industry  is  the 
bottlenose  porpoise  (Tur slops  truncatus),  one  of  the 
commonest  species  of  the  Atlantic  coast,  which  is  espe- 
cially abundant  at  Hatteras  during  the  winter. 

The  present  fishery  is  owned  by  Mr.  Joseph  K.  Nye 
of  New  Bedford,  Massachusetts,  a  gentleman  who  for- 
tunately appreciates  the  opportunities  offered  at  Cape 
Hatteras  for  studying  this  porpoise  and  its  life  history. 
Through  his  courtesy  several  live  specimens  were 
presented  to  the  New  York  Zoological  Society 
and  were  transported  to  the  New  York  Aquarium 
under  the  direction  of  Dr.  Charles  H.  Townsend,  its 
Director. 

Dr.  Townsend  deserves  the  greatest  credit  for  his 
perseverance,  after  several  failures,  in  finally  bringing 
to  this  city  nine  porpoises,  four  of  which  lived  seven 
months  and  one  twenty-nine  months  in  a  circular  pool 
thirty-seven  feet  in  diameter  and  seven  feet  deep,  in 
the  Aquarium. 

This  is  a  record  which  has  never  been  equaled  and, 
indeed,  I  am  not  aware  that  any  other  aquarium  of 

278 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

the  world  has  a  pool  large  enough  to  contain  a  school 
of  such  lively  ocean  rangers. 

During  the  months  these  animals  lived  under  Dr. 
Townsend's  eyes,  he  was  given  an  opportunity  such 
as  no  other  naturalist  has  ever  had  to  study  and  ob- 
serve their  habits  and  daily  life.  The  results  of  his 
observations  have  been  published  by  the  New  York 
Zoological  Society *  and  with  Dr.  Townsend's  permis- 
sion I  am  quoting  in  this  chapter  portions  of  his  in- 
teresting paper  and  republishing  several  of  his  pho- 
tographs,. 

Cape  Hatteras  is  the  only  point  in  North  America  where 
a  porpoise  fishery  has  ever  been  regularly  conducted,  and 
where  such  animals  can  be  taken  near  the  shore  and  beached 
with  drag  seines.  The  Bottle-nosed  porpoise  winters  off 
our  South  Atlantic  coast  and  is  quite  common  in  the  vicinity 
of  Cape  Hatteras  during  the  fall,  winter  and  spring  months. 
Schools  of  porpoises  may  be  seen  passing  every  day  just 
outside  the  surf. 

They  are  taken  with  a  net  of  extra  heavy  twine,  about 
one  thousand  feet  long,  which  is  placed  about  two  hundred 
yards  outside  the  line  of  surf  and  parallel  with  it.  At  each 
end  there  is  a  boat  in  waiting,  ready  to  carry  the  haul  lines 
directly  ashore  as  soon  as  a  band  of  porpoises  has  passed 
between  the  net  and  the  surf.  After  the  lines  have  been 
carried  ashore  the  porpoises  are  considered  fairly  secure, 
for  they  do  not  often  attempt  to  cross  the  haul  lines,  and 
even  when  they  do,  can  usually  be  frightened  back  by  having 
someone  shake  each  line  continuously  while  it  is  being 
hauled  in. 

It  requires  considerable  time  to  bring  the  ends  of  the 
big  seine  to  the  beach,  but  even  then  some  of  the  porpoises 

1"The  Porpoise  in  Captivity."  By  Charles  Haskins  Townsend. 
Zoologica,  Vol.  I,  No.  16. 

280 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

may  get  away  by  leaping  over  the  net  or  attempting  to  dive 
under  it.  The  former  can  be  prevented  to  some  extent  by 
sending  a  boat  to  the  outer  curve  of  the  net,  which  serves 
to  keep  the  animals  from  charging  against  it.  Some  of  those 
that  attempt  to  dive  underneath  become  enmeshed  and,  being 
air  breathers,  are  soon  drowned.  Thirty-three  porpoises 
were  beached  in  the  haul  of  the  seine  which  provided  our 
specimens.  The  greatest  number  taken  in  a  single  year  ap- 
pears to  have  been  fifteen  hundred. 

Porpoises  are  valuable  for  their  jaw  oil,  hides  and  body 
blubber,  the  value  of  each  being  in  the  order  given.  The 
oil  derived  from  the  jaws  represents  the  greater  part  of 
the  value,  being  worth  ordinarily  twenty  dollars  a  gallon, 
refined.  It  is  extracted  from  the  broad  posterior  branches 
of  the  lower  jaw,  and  is  universally  used  for  the  lubri- 
cation of  watches,  clocks  and  similarly  delicate  mechanisms. 
An  attempt  was  made  at  the  Hatteras  fishery  to  utilize  the 
carcasses  of  these  animals  for  fertilizer,  but,  as  the  location 
is  isolated,  the  question  of  fuel  for  the  furnace  proved  too 
serious  and  the  project  was  abandoned. 

The  Bottlenosed  Porpoise  (Tursiops  truncatus}  is  the 
only  species  of  porpoise  that  has  ever  been  taken  at  the 
Hatteras  fishery.  Our  eight-foot  specimens  represent  the 
average  size.  A  number  of  animals  were  measured  in  No- 
vember, however,  which  exceeded  nine  feet  in  length.  The 
greatest  length  for  this  species  at  Hatteras  is  twelve  feet, 
but  this  is  altogether  unusual.  Measurements  and  weights 
taken  in  November  show  that  a  porpoise  five  and  a  half 
feet  long  weighs  100  pounds;  six  feet,  160  pounds;  seven 
feet,  200  pounds;  and  eight  feet,  300  pounds. 

The  movement  of  porpoises  along  the  great  beach  which 
extends  in  a  general  southwesterly  direction  from  Cape 
Hatteras  is  usually  close  to  the  surf.  The  bands  appear 
to  move  in  both  directions.  Residents  of  Hatteras  are  of 
the  opinion  that  the  majority  of  those  in  the  vicinity  of 
Hatteras  Inlet  move  to  the  eastward,  turning  south  from 

282 


THE  BATTLENOSE  PORPOISE  IN  CAPTIVITY 

the  Cape,  whence  they  gradually  swing  back  to  the  main- 
land. They  have  not,  however,  been  followed  away  from 
the  beach,  and  their  winter  movements  are  not  known  with 
certainty. 

Immediately  after  their  capture  at  Hatteras,  where  they 
were  brought  to  land  with  a  large  drag-seine,  the  porpoises 
were  placed  for  twenty- four  hours  in  a  deep  salt  water  pond 
just  back  of  the  ocean  beach.  Here  they  had  an  opportu- 
nity to  recover  somewhat  from  the  fright  of  capture,  and 
to  rest  in  cool  water.  No  chances  whatever  were  taken 
in  the  matter  of  temperature.  On  the  beach  their  natural 
warmth  of  body  would  no  doubt  have  been  greatly  increased 
by  the  hot  sunshine. 

The  following  day  they  were  seined  out  of  the  pond  and 
placed  in  the  shipping  tanks,  which  were  then  hoisted  on 
board  a  schooner  and  at  once  filled  with  water.  During  the 
voyage  through  the  fresh  waters  of  Pamlico  Sound  and 
the  Great  Dismal  Swamp  Canal,  the  water  in  the  tanks  was 
changed  whenever  it  became  warm.  After  reaching  the  New 
York  steamer  at  Norfolk  the  cooling  of  the  porpoise  tanks 
en  route  was  greatly  simplified  by  the  use  of  the  steamer's 
salt  water  hose. 

The  shipping  of  porpoises  alive  is  therefore  a  simple 
matter.  The  adult  animals  readily  stand  transportation, 
while  the  young  do  not.  If  carried  in  long,  narrow  boxes 
large  enough  to  accommodate  them  without  rubbing,  and 
if  kept  supplied  with  sufficient  cold  water  to  support  and 
cover  them,  they  can  be  handled  easily  enough.  There  is 
probably  no  reason  why  a  porpoise,  under  such  conditions, 
should  not  be  carried  in  a  tank  many  times  the  two  days' 
journey  from  Hatteras  to  New  York,  although  on  a  jour- 
ney by  rail  the  changing  of  the  water  would  be  difficult 
and  expensive.  While  its  temperature  could  be  controlled 
by  the  use  of  ice,  the  water  carried  without  changing  would 
be  seriously  fouled,  for  two  or  three  days.  The  question 
of  food  could  be  disregarded  for  a  few  days  without  injury. 

283 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

The  captive  porpoises  are  very  lively  and  keep  swimming 
day  and  night,  rising  to  blow  usually  with  each  circuit 
of  the  pool.  Being  kept  in  shallow  water,  they  probably 
breathe  oftener  than  they  would  in  deep  water.  They  often 
swim  under  water,  belly  up,  like  seals,  but  never  lie  upon 
the  bottom  or  bask  at  the  surface  as  the  latter  do.  Visi- 
tors ask  whether  they  ever  rest — a  question  not  easy  to 
answer.  If  they  do,  it  is  apparently  without  cessation  of 
forward  motion.  Nevertheless  they  are  quieter  at  night 
when  most  of  the  lights  are  cut  off,  and  do  not  indulge 
in  boisterous  play. 

For  a  time  two  of  them  habitually  moved  from  left  to 
right,  while  three  took  the  opposite  course,  but  this  prac- 
tice soon  became  less  regular  and  is  apparently  breaking 
up.  Sometimes  the  speed  is  slow,  but  more  often  it  is  rather 
rapid.  Occasionally  they  indulge  in  a  bit  of  racing  that 
makes  high  waves,  the  water  surging  up  to  the  coping  of 
the  pool.  A  porpoise  speeding  around  the  pool  can  make 
a  right-angled  turn  as  quickly  as  a  frightened  fish,  with- 
out lessening  speed. 

When  being  fed  all  regularity  of  movement  is  abandoned, 
and  they  rush  in  various  directions  to  seize  at  the  surface 
the  fishes  slowly  thrown  into  the  pool.  This  continues  for 
some  time  after  feeding,  until  all  sunken  scraps  are  gleaned 
from  the  bottom.  All  food  is  swallowed  under  water.  Fre- 
quently a  porpoise  will  play  with  a  dead  fish,  thrusting  its 
head  clear  of  the  water  and  throwing  the  fish  from  five  to 
ten  feet  away,  when  it  is  recovered  and  thrown  again.  Such 
play  may  last  half  an  hour,  or  until  the  fish  is  reduced  to 
scraps  too  small  to  be  thrown.  It  is  not  uncommon  for 
two  or  three  of  them  to  be  engaged  in  throwing  fishes  at 
the  same  time  and  the  practice  is  becoming  habitual. 

Several  times  a  day  they  indulge  in  very  active  play, 
darting  with  mock  ferocity  after  each  other,  or  leaping 
quite  clear  of  the  water  and  striking  with  heavy  splashes. 
They  often  swim  on  their  backs,  with  the  jaws  out  of  water, 

284 


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WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

or  on  their  sides  repeatedly  striking  the  surface  with  the 
head.  When  leaping  a  favorite  trick  is  to  throw  the  body 
around  until  the  dorsal  fin  is  forward,  with  a  resulting 
splash  that  sends  the  spray  quite  out  on  the  floor.  A  high 
leap  by  one  of  them  is  usually  a  signal  that  starts  them 
all  to  leaping.  Our  fears  that  they  might  leap  quite  out 
of  the  pool  were  unfounded;  they  are  clever  enough  to 
avoid  the  wall  which  surrounds  them. 

Another  game  is  played  by  going  around  the  pool  with 
short  dives,  each  time  striking  the  surface  with  the  flat 
of  the  tail.  When  the  pool  is  entirely  full  of  water  their 
play  is  livelier  than  when  the  water  level  is  lowered.  The 
increased  depth  gives  them  more  confidence  and  they  often 
turn  complete  forward  and  backward  somersaults. 

The  ordinary  swimming  motion  of  the  tail  is  up  and 
down,  but,  if  playfully  charged  by  a  companion,  the  por- 
poise seems  to  make  a  spurt  ahead  by  more  or  less  side 
action  of  the  tail.  This  is  not  easy  to  determine,  however, 
and  may  be  more  apparent  than  real,  as  the  water  is  too 
much  disturbed  by  high  speed  dashes  for  accurate  ob- 
servation. The  animal  undoubtedly  relies  upon  its  tail  for 
propulsion,  the  flippers  or  pectoral  fins  being  brought  into 
action  in  making  turning  movements.  Several  of  the  por- 
poises have  lately  taken  to  swimming  on  their  backs,  and 
the  movement  of  the  flippers  and  tail  at  such  times  is  easily 
seen  contrasted  with  the  white  under  parts.  In  swimming 
on  the  back,  however,  there  is  considerable  lateral  action 
of  the  tail. 

Frequently  three  or  four  of  them  will  bunch  together  in 
the  center  of  the  pool,  rolling  and  rubbing  against  each 
other  in  a  ball-like  mass  suggestive  of  the  tussling  of  pup- 
pies. This  may  at  times  mean  that  they  are  merely  scratch- 
ing, as  the  single  porpoise  kept  in  the  Aquarium  for  two 
and  a  half  months  last  summer  frequently  rubbed  his  sides 
or  back  against  the  back  of  a  large  sturgeon  kept  in  the 
same  pool.  This  injured  porpoise  indulged  in  no  play  and 

286 


THE  BOTTLENOSE  PORPOISE  IN  CAPTIVITY 

swam  day  and  night  in  the  same  circle  from  right  to  left, 
but  always  fed  freely. 

There  is  considerable  mobility  of  the  neck  of  the  por- 
poise, an  animal  lacking  all  outward  appearance  of  a  neck. 
The  head  can  be  turned  down  at  an  angle  of  about  45 
degrees  to  the  body,  and  can  be  turned  as  far  sideways 
with  equal  readiness.  These  motions  can  be  seen  at  feeding 
time  and  wrhen  the  animals  are  tossing  fishes. 

There  is  no  evidence  that  the  porpoise  can  see  out  of 
water.  In  throwing  a  fish  the  head  is  often  thrust  well 
above  the  surface,  but  the  animal  seems  to  be  always  in- 
tent on  its  plaything,  entirely  disregarding  the  visitors  lean- 
ing over  the  rail  five  or  six  feet  away.  While  a  fish  thrown 
into  the  water  is  promptly  seized,  the  porpoise  pays  no  at- 
tention to  a  fish  suspended  by  a  thread  two  inches  above 
the  surface.  If  the  eyes  of  porpoises  and  other  whales 
were  fitted  for  observation  above  the  surface  of  the  water, 
as  are  the  eyes  of  seals,  they  might  long  ago  have  learned 
to  use  them  in  the  same  way.1 

Porpoises  instantly  recognize  any  change  that  may  occur 
in  connection  with  the  wrater  level  of  the  pool.  The  entirely 
noiseless  opening  of  a  distant  valve  to  lower  the  water  is 
apparent  to  them  and  may  stop  their  play  temporarily.  A 
pool  only  thirty-seven  feet  in  diameter  does  not  of  course 
afford  space  for  the  high  activity  of  which  the  porpoise 
is  capable.  Nevertheless  they  often  leap  three  feet  or 
more  clear  of  the  surface,  sometimes  striking  the  water 
forcibly  enough  to  throw  spray  thirty  feet  into  the  air. 
The  visitor  soon  gets  the  impression  that  they  enjoy  life 
even  in  captivity  and  their  keepers,  while  always  vigilant 

1 1  do  not  believe  that  because  the  porpoise  would  not  seize 
a  fish  suspended  above  the  water,  it  is  evidence  that  it  could 
not  see  it.  Not  being  accustomed  to  take  its  food  out  of  the 
water,  the  animal  probably  did  not  know  what  the  fish  was.  A 
wounded  porpoise  which  I  kept  alive  for  some  time  on  a  ship 
in  the  Pacific  could  see  my  hand  if  it  was  brought  within  a  few 
feet  of  its  eyes.  R.  C.  A. 

287 


THE  BOTTLENOSE  PORPOISE  IN  CAPTIVITY 

as  to  their  needs,  have  ceased  to  be  concerned  about  their 
safety,  regarding  them  as  almost  domesticated  animals. 

The  naturally  sociable  and  gregarious  habits  of  porpoises 
is  evidently  not  lessened  by  captivity.  Sometimes  they  seize 
each  other  by  the  back  just  behind  the  dorsal  fin,  but  there 
are  no  tooth  marks  on  any  of  them  and  it  is  probably  done 
in  play.  The  indications  are  that  they  are  altogether  ami- 
able and  inoffensive  toward  each  other.  The  only  species 
of  porpoise  destructive  to  its  kind  is  the  well-known  "Killer" 
(Orca  gladiator). 

Our  porpoises  were  observed  mating  in  January,  and 
again  in  March  and  April.  It  is  possible  that  they  will  breed 
in  captivity  if  their  lives  are  not  shortened  by  indoor  life.1 

Our  porpoises  were  heavy  feeders,  the  five  consuming 
about  ninety  pounds  of  fresh  fish  a  day.  This  quantity  of 
food  has  kept  them  in  good  condition,  apparently  without 
loss  of  weight.  For  several  days  after  their  arrival  they 
would  eat  nothing,  but  at  the  end  of  a  week  they  began  to 
take  live  fishes  and,  after  having  once  started  to  feed,  it 
was  not  difficult  to  get  them  to  take  dead  fish.  A  few 
days  of  hunger  brought  them  around,  as  it  does  in  the  case 
of  the  newly  captured  seal  or  sea  lion.  Their  principal  food 
is  herring  and  tomcod  purchased  in  the  markets.  The  live 
crabs  thrown  to  them  at  various  times  were  quickly  seized 
and  much  tossed  about,  but  were  not  eaten. 

The  keeping  of  porpoises  in  captivity  has  presented  some 
difficulties  with  the  water  supply,  their  excrement  constantly 
discoloring  the  water.  The  pool  cannot  be  drained  empty 
and  cleaned,  like  those  used  for  seals,  as  stranded,  and  con- 
sequently frightened,  porpoises  beat  the  ground  with  their 
tails  so  violently  that  they  would  be  injured  by  the  daily 
emptying  of  the  pool.  The  water  is  now  being  kept  fairly 
clear  by  carrying  extra  pipe  lines  to  the  pool  and  greatly 
increasing  the  flow  of  water.  The  pool  is  supplied  with 

1  Unfortunately  all  the  female  porpoises  died  at  the  time  Dr. 
Townsend's  paper  was  passing  through  the  press.  R.  C.  A. 

280 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

brackish  and  rather  impure  water  pumped  from  New  York 
Harbor,  as  it  is  not  practicable  to  supply  it  with  pure  sea 
water  from  the  Aquarium's  large  storage  reservoir,  on 
account  of  the  fact  that  porpoises  would  rapidly  discolor 
the  stored  sea-water  which  is  so  important  to  the  health 
of  the  collection  of  marine  fishes  in  the  Aquarium. 

The  necessity  of  keeping  them  in  the  water  of  the  Harbor, 
and  exhibiting  them  in  a  public  exhibition  room  which  has 
to  be  heated  during  the  winter  makes  it,  of  course,  impos- 
sible to  hold  them  under  entirely  favorable  conditions,  yet 
they  are  undoubtedly  doing  well.  They  could  no  doubt  be 
kept  for  some  time  in  fresh  water,  as  is  sometimes  done  with 
seals  and  sea  lions,  but  they  would  eventually  suffer  from 
the  lack  of  the  salts  contained  in  sea  water.  Porpoises, 
perhaps  of  this  species,  frequently  enter  the  fresh  waters 
of  Pamlico  Sound  through  the  inlets  southwest  of  Hat- 
teras,  and  many  species  of  marine  porpoises  make  long 
journeys  into  the  fresh  waters  of  rivers. 


CHAPTER  XXV 
THE  BLACKFISH 

THE  blackfish,  the  most  gregarious  and  one  of 
the  largest  members  of  the  porpoise  family,  is 
sometimes  called  the  "pilot  whale"  because  it 
blindly  follows  a  leader  and  the  herds  can  be  driven 
almost  like  a  flock  of  sheep. 

Several  species  have  been  recognized  in  different 
oceans  of  the  world,  but  the  most  common  and  widely 
distributed  is  the  one  called  by  naturalists  Globicepha- 
lus  -melas,  which  occurs  in  great  schools  on  both  sides 
of  the  North  Atlantic. 

It  is  perhaps  most  abundant  about  the  Faroe  Islands 
north  of  Scotland,  where  the  natives  take  advantage 
of  its  follow-the-leader  habit  and  drive  the  herds  into 
narrow  fjords  to  be  slaughtered  by  the  hundreds  and 
used  for  oil  and  food.  These  blackfish  hunts  of  the 
Faroes  are  famous  and  lend  a  wrelcome  touch  of  ro- 
mance and  picturesqueness  to  the  present-day  whaling 
which  contains  so  little  of  the  old-time  glamour. 

When  a  school  of  grind,  as  they  are  called  by  the 
Faroe  men,  is  sighted,  word  is  telephoned  along  the 
coast,  and  whether  it  is  night  or  day,  boats  begin  to 
assemble  to  surround  the  porpoises.  The  herd  is  slowly 
and  quietly  driven  toward  the  mouth  of  the  fjord 
which  has  been  selected  by  the  first  boats  on  the  scene 

291 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

—preferably  a  fjord  with  shallow  water  at  the  head — • 
and  as  reinforcements  arrive  the  men  are  arranged 
in  definite  formation  by  the  director  of  the  hunt. 

The  progress  of  the  herd  is  very  slow  at  first,  about 
a  mile  an  hour,  but  when  once  well  within  the  .fjord 
itself  the  boat  crews  close  in,  begin  to  beat  the  water 
vigorously  with  their  oars,  and  to  throw  stones  among 
the  most  backward  of  the  school. 

Perhaps  the  porpoises  may  suddenly  turn  and  break 
for  the  open  sea,  and  then  follows  a  race  by  the  out- 
lying boats  to  cut  them  off.  Instead  of  diving  or 
rushing  the  boats  which  block  their  way,  the  guileless 
grind  turn  about  tumultuously  and  once  more  race  up 
the  fjord.  When  the  school  is  thoroughly  scared,  they 
break  away  again  and  again  with  a  mad  dash,  only  to 
be  turned  back  by  the  encircling  boats,  until  they  reach 
the  shallow  water  at  the  end  of  the  fjord  and  rush  far 
up  toward  the  shelving  shore. 

As  soon  as  they  begin  floundering  about  at  the  wa- 
ter's edge,,  a  little  crowd  of  fishermen  who  have  been 
hiding  behind  the  rocks,  dash  into  the  water  and  grasp- 
ing the  stranded  whales  by  the  fins  plunge  sharp  knives 
into  the  necks  of  the  struggling  brutes. 

Meanwhile  in  slightly  deeper  water  the  boatmen 
are  spearing  the  porpoises  not  already  stranded. 
Everywhere  there  is  an  atmosphere  of  carnage ;  the  air 
itself  becomes  infected  with  the  odor  of  blood.  In  the 
fjord,  now  stained  crimson,  there  is  a  confused  mass 
of  boats  and  blood-splashed  men  wading  fearlessly 
among  the  floundering  whales.  Some  of  these  make 
mad  rushes  for  shore,  scattering  groups  of  men  bend- 

292 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

ing  over  the  stranded  grind;  others  in  their  last  ago- 
nies dive  on  the  muddy  bottom  and,  half  out  of  water, 
beat  the  air  with  their  great  tails.  The  hunt  may  last 
for  hours,  for  some  of  the  boats  chase  the  stragglers 
even  out  to  the  open  sea. 

When  the  carnage  has  ended  and  the  receding  tide 


A  Pacific  blackfish  (Globiccphalus  scammoni).    This  species  has 
no  white  on  the  under  parts. 

has  left  the  grind  high  and  dry  upon  the  beach,  the 
sheriff  and  his  assistants  count  and  measure  the  ani- 
mals preparatory  to  allotment.  Every  porpoise  has  its 
special  number  cut  into  the  thick  blubber  which  covers 
its  cylindrical  head.  The  largest  whale  is  given  to  the 
native  who  first  sighted  the  school.  One-tenth  of  the 

294 


THE  BLACKFISH 

rest  is  put  aside  for  the  sheriff's  fee,  taxes,  and  ex- 
penses; of  the  remainder  a  large  proportion  is  allotted 
to  the  villagers  living  on  the  borders  of  the  fjord 
where  the  kill  takes  place,  every  woman  and  child 
having  a  share.  The  total  value  of  a  catch  of  five 
or  six  hundred  may  be  over  $12,000. 

The  morning  following  the  hunt  the  cutting  in  be- 
gins, each  crew  or  group  of  villages  taking,  without 
bickering  or  protestation,  the  whales  apportioned  to 
them  by  the  sheriff.  After  the  blubber  has  been  re- 
moved, the  meat  is  carefully  cut  away  from  the  skele- 
ton, piled  in  neat  heaps,  and  carried  away  by  the 
women  in  wooden  creels  to  their  homes.  All  that  re- 
mains to  mark  the  scene  of  carnage  is  the  white 
skeletons  bleaching  in  the  sun. 

But  blackfish  are  not  of  use  to  the  Faroe  Islanders 
alone,  for  wherever  one  of  the  old-time  whaling  vessels 
cruises  for  sperm  whales,  the  green  crews  and  gear  are 
tried  out  if  a  school  is  found.  And  throughout  the 
voyage  when  whales  are  scarce,  few  of  the  vessels  are 
above  "lowering"  for  a  herd  of  these  huge  porpoises. 

The  common  blackfish  of  the  North  Atlantic  is 
without  a  trace  of  color  above,  but  has  a  narrow  line 
of  white  on  the  breast  and  belly,  which  widens  into  a 
fountain- jet  shape  on  the  throat.  The  species  found 
on  the  American  Atlantic  coast  south  of  New  York 
(G.  brachyptcrus)  is  black  everywhere  upon  its  body, 
like  the  blackfish  of  the  Pacific  (G.  scammoni). 
Twenty-four  feet  seems  to  be  about  the  maximum 
size  of  this  porpoise,  which  in  the  entire  family  is  ex- 
ceeded in  length  only  by  the  killer  whale. 

295 


CHAPTER  XXVI 
THE  PASSING  OF  THE  WHALE 

THE  world  hunt  for  the  whale  began  a  thousand 
years  ago  in  the  Bay  of  Biscay  and  it  bids  fair 
to  end  ere  the  close  of  the  twentieth  century. 

After  the  extermination  of  the  North  Atlantic  right 
whale  on  the  coast  of  Spain,  the  hunters  pushed  north- 
ward to  Finland  and  Iceland,  and  it  is  even  possible 
that  whalers  visited  Newfoundland  long  before  Colum- 
bus saw  American  shores. 

The  relentless  warfare  to  which  the  right  whale  was 
subjected  for  hundreds  of  years  culminated  in  the 
sixteenth  century,  and  only  stopped  short  of  actual  ex- 
termination through  the  discovery,  in  the  far  north, 
of  its  larger  and  more  valuable  relative,  the  bowhead. 
Then  the  right  whale  dropped  from  sight,  supposedly 
being  extinct,  and  although  it  appeared  again  a  hun- 
dred years  later,  it  has  never  recovered  from  the  effects 
of  its  early  persecution. 

The  capture  of  the  bowhead  began  in  1612  in  the 
open  waters  between  Spitzbergen  and  Greenland,  and 
soon  extended  to  Davis  Strait  and  Baffin  Bay.  After 
two  hundred  years  of  unceasing  pursuit  this  whale 
was  driven  to  the  remotest  parts  of  the  Arctic  Ocean 
and  was  so  nearly  exterminated  that  now,  when  north- 

296 


THE  PASSING  OF  THE  WHALE 

ern  whaling  has  practically  ended,  its  recovery  in 
numbers  is  exceedingly  doubtful. 

AlHliis  happened  before  the  modern  harpoon-gun 
diverted  attention  to  the  fin  whales,  which  during  the 
last  half-century  have  been  so  ruthlessly  butchered  by 
means  of  every  invention  at  man's  disposal  that  their 
c^rrlfnercTal  extinction  is  inevitable  within  a  very  few 
decades  if  the  slaughter  is  continued  unchecked. 

By  commercial  extinction  I  mean  decrease  in  the 
number  of  whales  to  the  point  when  their  pursuit  will 
no  longer  be  profitable.  While  this  may  not  mean  total 
extermination  because  of  the  great  expense  connected 
with  the  modern  methods  of  capture  and  handling  the 
carcasses,  yet  the  whales  will  have  been  so  reduced  in 
numbers  that  they  can  never  again  become  abundant. 
Enormous  and  highly  specialized  animals  are  usually 
slow  breeders  and  especially  liable  to  extinction,  and 
since  it  has  taken  millions  of  years  to  evolve  the  whale, 
it  is  extremely  unlikely  that  such  evolution  can  again 
be  duplicated  upon  this  planet. 

Even  if  we  deny  whales  the  right  to  live,  and  dis- 
regard the  scientific  importance  of  this  marvelously 
specialized  group  of  mammals,  it  is  apparent  that, 
reduced  to  a  sordid  standard,  our  problem  demands 
immediate  attention.  It  is  of  the  utmost  importance 
that  while  there  is  yet  time  the  governments  of  the 
world  should  realize  that  if  proper  legislation  is  en- 
acted to  regulate  the  killing  of  whales,  a  great  and 
lucrative  industry  can  not  only  be  conducted  profitably 
in  the  present,  but  preserved  for  the  future. 

The  history  of  modern  whaling  in  Newfoundland, 
297 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

where  American  shore  stations  were  first  established, 
is  an  excellent  example  of  what  will  happen  sooner 
or  later  in  every  other  part  of  the  world  if  commer- 
cial greed  remains  unchecked.  In  1908,  Dr.  Frederic 
A.  Lucas,  who  from  personal  investigation  is  one  of 
the  best  informed  students  of  the  subject,  published 
a  carefully  prepared  account  of  the  Newfoundland 
fishery  and  I  cannot  do  better  than  quote  here  a  por- 
tion of  his  remarks.  Dr.  Lucas  says : 

Before  1903  we  have  no  data  as  to  the  number  of  whales 
taken  along  the  coast  of  Newfoundland  and  can  only  say 
that  the  value  of  whale  products  rose  successively  from 
$1,581,  in  1898,  to  $36,428,  in  1900,  and  $125,287  in  1902. 
Making  a  rough  estimate,  based  on  the  value  of  the  whale 
fishery,  one  may  say  that  this  represents  not  less  than  350 
whales,  more  probably  about  500,  since  prior  to  1902  the 
waste  was  very  great.  The  first  whaling  station  in  which 
modern  methods  were  adopted  was  established  in  1897  and 
its  success  was  so  great  that  in  1903  four  others  had  been 
erected  and  three  more  planned,  although  but  three  steamers 
were  then  employed.  R.  T.  McGrath  in  the  Report  of  the 
Newfoundland  Department  of  Fisheries  for  1903  gave  it  as 
his  opinion  that  no  more  applications  for  factories  should 
be  granted  for  some  years  to  come,  saying,  "Two  factories 
are  about  to  be  erected,  one  at  Trinity  and  one  at  Bonavista 
— during  the  coming  year.  This  will  make  eight  factories  in 
all,  viz.,  Balena,  Aquaforte,  Snook's  Arm,  Chalem  Bay,  Cape 
Broyle,  Bonavista  and  Trinity.  In  my  opinion  no  further 
applications  should  be  granted  for  some  years.  If  licenses 
are  given  without  restriction,  it  will  result  in  complete 
depletion  of  this  industry  within  a  short  time ;  whilst  if 
judiciously  dealt  with,  it  will  be  a  profitable  source  of  reve- 
nue, and  a  great  assistance  to  the  laboring  people  of  the 

298 


THE  PASSING  OF  THE  WHALE 

colony  for  many  years  to  come."  This  advice,  however,  was 
not  heeded,  the  only  restriction  placed  on  whaling  being 
that  stations  should  not  be  nearer  one  another  than  twenty 
miles  and  that  but  one  steamer  should  be  employed.  These 
restrictions  were  practically  of  no  avail,  as  one  steamer 
was  all  that  could  then  be  employed  to  advantage  and 
a  run  of  twenty  miles  is  nothing  to  a  12-knot  vessel.  So 
whaling  stations  rapidly  multiplied  until  by  1905  eighteen 
were  in  operation,  occupying  all  the  more  favorable  loca- 
tions about  Newfoundland,  Labrador  and  the  Gulf  of  St. 
Lawrence,  and  fifteen  steamers  were  employed.  The  effects 
of  this  over-multiplication  were  felt  at  once,  and  while  in 
1903  three  steamers  took  858  whales,  or  an  average  of  286 
each,  in  1905  fifteen  steamers  took  but  892  whales,  or  an 
average  of  only  59  a  vessel. 

In  1903  3  vessels  took 858  whales 

"    1904  10                  "     1,257      " 

"    1905  15         "        "     892      " 

"    1906  14        "         "     429      " 

"    1907  14        "        "     48i       " 


3.935  whales 

Taken  between  1898-1902,  esti- 
mated    - 35°      " 


4,285  whales 

Thus  in  ten  years  more  than  4,000  whales  have  been  cap- 
tured in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Newfoundland.  The 
effect  was  disastrous  and  caused  the  ruin  of  the  smaller 
companies,  the  chief  sufferers  being  the  smaller  shareholders 
who  had  invested  their  entire  capital. 

Since  then  the  number  of  stations  in  operation  has  been 
reduced  and  some  of  the  steamers  sold,  not  more  than  ten 
stations  being  operated  in  any  one  year  and  only  six  or  eight 

299 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

of  these  at  one  time.  Still  the  catch  has  steadily  decreased 
and  in  1913  only  two  hundred  and  twenty-two  whales  were 
taken. 

One  of  the  arguments  in  favor  of  indiscriminate  whaling 
has  been  the  theory  that  whales  had  the  whole  world  to 
draw  upon  and  that  the  depletion  in  any  one  locality  would 
soon  be  supplied  by  overflow  from  another.  To  a  slight  ex- 
tent this  may  be  true,  for  there  seems  some  reason  to  be- 
lieve that  whales  do  now  and  then  pass  from  the  Pacific 
to  the  Atlantic,1  but  on  the  whole  whales  are  restricted  in 
their  range  as  other  animals  2  and  extermination  in  one  place 
means  extermination  in  that  locality  for  all  time.  Another 
fallacy  was  the  belief  that  the  supply  of  whales  was  prac- 
tically limitless  and  that  one  might  "slay  and  slay  and  slay" 
continuously.  There  is  not  a  more  mischievous  term  than 
"inexhaustible  supply,"  and  certainly  none  more  untrue.  So 
we  see  our  inexhaustible  forests  on  the  verge  of  disappearing, 
our  inexhaustible  supplies  of  coal  and  oil  daily  growing  less, 
and  the  end  of  the  inexhaustible  supply  of  whales  in  sight. 
Man  is  recklessly  spending  the  capital  Nature  has  been  cen- 
turies in  accumulating  and  the  time  will  come  when  his 
drafts  will  no  longer  be  honored.  It  matters  not  whether 
the  vessel  is  a  bucket  or  an  ocean,  one  can  only  take  out  as 
much  water  as  it  contains  and  where  all  is  outgo  and  no 
income,  it  is  merely  a  question  of  time  when  one  or  the 
other  will  be  emptied.3 

1  "Capt.  Bull  states  that  a  sulphur-bottom  whale  shot  on  the 
coast  of  Norway  contained  a  harpoon  fired  into  it  on  the  coast 
of  Kamchatka  and  that  a  humpback  killed  off  Aquaforte  was 
found  to  have  in  the  flesh  an  unexploded  bomb  lance  fired  from 
a  San  Francisco  whaler  in  the  Pacific." 

2  "For  example,  the  sulphur-bottom  is  not  found  or  occurs  as 
a  straggler  on  the  east  coast  of  Newfoundland;  although  once 
common  on  the  south  coast." 

3  "The   Passing  of  the  Whale."     Zoological   Society   Bulletin, 
July,  1008,  No.  30,  supp.,  pp.  446-447. 

300 


THE  PASSING  OF  THE  WHALE 

Thus,  about  fifteen  years  after  the  first  modern 
station  was  erected  in  Newfoundland  shore  whaling 
practically  ended,  for  today  only  six  or  eight  facto- 
ries are  in  operation  and  have  a  combined  yearly  catch 
of  about  two  hundred  whales,  instead  of  over  one 
thousand  two  hundred  as  in  1904. 

With  Newfoundland's  history  in  mind  we  may  turn 
to  the  American  Pacific  where,  because  of  different 
conditions,  the  story  has  been  only  partially  dupli- 
cated. From  Mexico  to  Bering  Sea  there  is  an  enor- 
mous extent  of  coast  line  where  the  feeding  grounds  lie 
close  to  shore  and  sustain  a  proportionally  greater 
number  of  whales  than  in  the  restricted  area  of  New- 
foundland and  Labrador.  Jlej^-as  in  every  other 
ocean,  the  result  of  persistent  persecution  will  be  in- 
evitable, but  under  such  conditions  it  will  be  longer 
deferred. 

There  is  a  slow  but  constant  yearly  decrease  in  the 
number  of  whales  taken  along  the  Pacific  Coast,  and 
yet  if  stations  are  not  concentrated,  undoubtedly  the 
industry  will  continue  to  be  a  profitable  one  for  sev- 
eral years  to  come. 

Near  the  islands  of  the  sub-Antarctic,  conditions  are 
more  favorable  for  shore  whaling  than  in  any  other 
portion  of  the  world.  The  waters  of  these  seas  are 
especially  productive  of  the  shrimp  (Euphausid)  and 
other  plancton  upon  which  most  of  the  large  Cetacea 
feed,  and  thousands  of  fin  whales  are  present  where 
there  are  dozens  in  other  oceans.  This  great  abun- 
dance of  marine  life  caused  the  development  of  the 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

floating  factories  which  until  recently  operated  with- 
out restriction  and  are  the  most  pernicious  agencies 
of  modern  invention  in  the  wholesale  destruction  of 
whales. 

A  floating  factory  consists  of  a  large  steamer 
equipped  with  blubber  try  works  and  can  be  moved 
about  from  place  to  place  as  the  feeding  grounds 
change.  Four  or  £ve_^essels  hunt  from  each  floating 
factory,  supplying  it  with  whales  from  which  the 
blubber  is  stripped  off  and  tried  out  on  board  the 
large  ship. 

When  operations  first  began  in  the  sub-Antarctic, 
whales  could  be  killed  so  easily  that  in  some  instances 
only  the  thickest  portions  of  the  blubber  were  taken 
and  the  remainder  left  upon  the  carcass  to  be  turned 
adrift;  thus  but  a  fractional  portion  of  the  value  of 
each  whale  was  secured  while  thousands  of  animals 
were  killed.  ACblue  whale  eighty  feet  long,  treated 
in  this  manner,  would  probably  not  be  worth  more 
than  $40  or  $50,  while  in  Japan,  where  the  by-products 
are  highly  utilized,  a  specimen  of  equal  size  would  have 
a  value  of  $4,000. 

Very  fortunately  at  South  Georgia,  one  of  the 
largest  whaling  centers  of  the  far  southern  waters, 
the  British  Government  realized  that  such  pernicious 
activities  could  only  result  in  the  quick  ruin  of  the 
industry,  and  enacted  laws  which  compelled  the  float- 
ing factories  to  use  the  carcasses  as  well  as  the 
blubber. 

While  to  the  early  hunters  on  the  South  Atlantic 
grounds  the  supply  of  whales  must  have  seemed  in- 

302 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

exhaustible,  yet  the  concentrated  activity  of  the  last 
ten  years  has  caused  alarming  inroads  into  the  great 
herds  which  fed  along  the  edge  of  the  Antarctic 
Circle. 

On  South  Georgia  alone  there  are  at  the  present 
time  eight  stations  with  headquarters  in  Norway, 
Great  Britain,  and  Argentina,  and  the  South  Shet- 
lands,  Falkland,  South  Orkney,  and  Kerguelen  Islands 
are  the  homes  of  many  floating  factories  and  perma- 
nent stations. 

It  is  true  that  because  of  its  remoteness  the  cost 
of  whaling  operations  in  the  far  south  is  very  heavy 
and  that  the  slaughter  will  cease  automatically  when 
the  profits  are  no  longer  commensurate  with  the  in- 
vestment, but  owing  to  the  extraordinary  concentra- 
tion of  whales  on  these  feeding  grounds,  before  that 
time  comes  the  ravages  will  have  been  so  great  that 
probably  the  animals  can  never  again  attain  a  firm 
hold  upon  life. 

The  excessive  slaughter  in  the  South  Atlantic  has  a 
direct  effect  upon  the  industry  in  other  parts  of  the 
world,  for  it  is  very  probable  that  the  fin  whales  go 
northward  from  the  Antarctic  waters  into  both  the 
Atlantic  and  Pacific  Oceans. 

In  Japan  it  will  be  a  national  catastrophe  when 
whaling  ceases,  because  the  diet  of  the  ordinary  na- 
tive would  consist  of  little  besides  rice,  fish,  and  vege- 
tables were  it  not  for  the  thousands  of  tons  of  whale 
meat  which  are  distributed  fresh  or  canned  to  almost 
the  entire  Empire,  and  which  furnish  a  healthful 
and  palatable  food  at  a  low  cost. 

3°4 


THE  PASSING  OF  THE  WHALE 

Since  labor  is  very  cheap  in  Japan  and  especially 
because  each  whale  is  worth  an  extraordinary  amount 
for  food,  operations  can  be  carried  on  long  after  they 
would  be  unprofitable  in  almost  any  other  part  of  the 
world ;  thus  the  extermination  of  whales  will  undoubt- 
edly be  very  nearly  complete  in  the  Island  Empire. 

The  flesh  of  the  humpback  is  most  highly  esteemed 
for  food  by  the  Japanese  and  this  species  was  conse- 
quently very  ardently  pursued.  Although  most  abun- 
dant of  all  a  few  years  ago,  humpbacks  are  now  so 
rare  that  only  twenty-five  or  thirty  are  taken  yearly 
tt  Japan.  The  blue  whales  are  disappearing  al- 
-inrjst  as  rapidly  and  it  will  not  be  long  before  the 
Japanese  will  have  to  depend  entirely  upon  the  fin- 
hack,  gray,  and  sei  whales. 

Unfortunately  there  appears  to  be  a  universal  be- 
lief that  shore  whaling  is  a  short-lived  industry  and 
that  everyone  must  get  for  himself  the  greatest  pos- 
sible share  of  the  profits  without  regard  for  the  future. 
It  is  commercial  greed  in  its  worst  form,  because  in 
the  mad  scramble  for  quick  money,  such  pernicious 
operations  as  those  of  the  floating  factory  are  in- 
augurated, and  but  a  small  part  of  the  real  value  of 
each  whale  is  secured  after  its  life  has  been  taken. 

My  plea  is  for  proper  legislation  which  will  force 
the  industry  to  develop  its  great  untouched  possibili- 
ties and  save  it  for  the  future  while  yielding  a  reason- 
able profit  during  the  present. 

But  it  must  be  intelligent  legislation,  for  "blanket" 
laws  are  worse  than  none  at  all.  Conditions  vary  with 
every  place  where  shore  whaling  is  conducted  and 

305 


WHALE  HUNTING  WITH  GUN  AND  CAMERA 

laws  which  were  excellent  for  Newfoundland  would 
be  absurd  on  the  coast  of  British  Columbia. 

Personally  I  cannot  see  how  the  much-discussed 
international  legislation  can  be  of  assistance.  It  ap- 
pears to  me  that  local  laws  are  what  is  needed. 

Experts  should  be  employed  to  study  carefully  con- 
ditions in  each  locality  in  order  that  recommendations 
may  be  intelligent.  I  know  of  one  government  which 
actually  declared  a  closed  season  upon  whales,  during 
which  the  animals  could  not  be  hunted,  obviously  to 
allow  the  females  to  bring  forth  their  young.  Since 
the  fin  whales  breed  irregularly  throughout  the  year, 
such  bungling  attempts  at  legislation  are  worse  than 
useless  and  serve  only  to  expose  the  ignorance  of 
those  who  make  them. 

In  not  a  single  country  of  the  globe  where  shore 
whaling  is  being  carried  on  today  are  there  intelligent 
laws  to  insure  for  the  future  an  industry  which  is 
yielding  millions  of  dollars  every  year,  or  to  save  from 
extermination  the  animals  which,  of  all  others  on  the 
land  or  in  the  sea,  have  taken  the  most  important  place 
in  the  history  of  the  world. 


APPENDIX 
I.    CLASSIFICATION  OF  THE  CETACEA 

In  order  to  make  clear  the  relations  to  each  other  of  the 
whales  and  porpoises  I  have  given  below  a  classification  and 
brief  diagnosis  of  the  principal  groups.  The  currently 
accepted  subfamilies  of  the  Physeteridae  and  Platinistid^e 
have  been  omitted  for  the  purpose  of  simplifying  the  clas- 
sification. 

Order  Cetacea.     Whales  and  Porpoises. 
A.  Suborder  Mystacoceti.     Whalebone  Whales. 

I.  Family  Balaenidse.     Right  and  Fin  Whales. 

a.  Subfamily    Balaeninae.     Right    Whales. 

Head  long — skull  much  arched — whale- 
bone long  and  very  fine — no  grooves  on 
ventral  surface— no  dorsal  fin — greatest 
length,  65  feet. 

b.  Subfamily  Bakenopterinae.     Fin  Whales. 

Head    short  —  skull     slightly    arched — 
whalebone  short  and  coarse — grooves  on 
ventral    surface — a   dorsal   fin — greatest 
length,  87  feet. 
II.  Family  Neobalaenidae.     Pigmy  Right  Whale. 

Head  short  —  skull  greatly  arched — 
whalebone  long,  slender  and  white — no 
ventral  grooves — a  dorsal  fin — ribs  very 
broad  and  flat. 

III.  Family  Rhachianectidse.  California  Gray  Whale. 
Head    short    and    moderately    arched — 

307 


APPENDIX 

whalebone  short,  coarse  and  widely 
spaced — 2.  to  4  grooves  on  the  throat — no 
dorsal  fin — greatest  length,  48  feet. 

B.  Suborder  Odontoceti.     Toothed  Whales. 

I.  Family  Physeteridae.     Sperm  Whales. 

Head  large  and  blunt — a  single  blowhole 
— 40  to  50  teeth  in  the  lower  jaw — no 
functional  teeth  in  upper  jaw — a  dorsal 
hump — greatest  length,  70  feet. 
II.  Family  Ziphiidse.     The  Ziphioid  Whales. 

Head  pointed — snout  produced  in  form 
of  a  beak — a  single  crescent-shaped 
blowhole  on  top  of  head — one  or  two 
pairs  of  functional  teeth  in  lower  jaw — 
no  teeth  in  upper  jaw — greatest  length, 
30  feet. 

III.  Family  Delphinidae.     Porpoises. 

a.  Subfamily  Delphininae. 

Medium  size — two  or  more  neck  verte- 
brae joined — single  crescent-shaped  blow- 
hole on  top  of  head — teeth  in  both  jaws 
— usually  a  high  dorsal  fin — greatest 
length,  30  feet. 

b.  Subfamily  Delphinapterinae.    White  Whale 

and  Narwhal. 

Medium  size — head  small  and  neck  ver- 
tebrae all  separated — single  crescent- 
shaped  blowhole  on  top  of  head — no 
dorsal  fin — flippers  very  broad — greatest 
length,  20  feet. 

IV.  Family    Platinistidae.      Fresh    Water    Porpoises. 

Small  size — neck  vertebrae  all  separate — 
single   crescent-shaped  blowhole   on  top 
of  head — all   inhabit   fresh  or  brackish 
water — greatest  length,  12  feet. 
308 


APPENDIX 


II.     DIAGNOSES  OF  THE  WHALES  DESCRIBED  IN 
THIS  BOOK 

BLUE  WHALE,  SULPHURBOTTOM 
Bal&noptera  miisculus    (Linn.) 

Very  large  size.  Average  length,  76  feet;  maximum 
length,  87  feet.  The  pectoral  fins  are  about  15  per  cent,  of 
the  total  length,  falcate  and  bluntly  pointed.  The  dorsal  fin 
is  small  and  variable  in  form,  but  usually  more  or  less  fal- 
cate; it  is  situated  behind  the  line  of  the  anus.  Many  ven- 
tral folds. 

The  color  of  the  body  is  mottled  gray,  the  proportions  of 
light  and  dark  tints  varying  greatly  in  different  individuals, 
but  the  body  is  usually  lightest  at  the  shoulder  and  between 
the  flippers  and  the  umbilicus.  The  head  is  a  little  darker 
than  the  body  and  unmarked.  A  few  entirely  white  spots 
are  usually  present  on  the  posterior  ends  of  the  abdominal 
folds. 

The  pectoral  fins  are  gray  on  the  upper  surface,  except  at 
the  tip,  and  white  below.  The  flukes  are  plain  gray  above, 
and  below  are  marked  with  fine  light  and  dark  gray  lines 
running  antero-posteriorly.  The  dorsal  fin  is  dark  gray  and 
the  whalebone  black. 

The  rostrum  of  the  skull  is  very  broad  with  the  free 
margins  of  the  maxill?e  convex;  the  nasal  bones  are  oblong 
with  truncated  anterior  margins.  Vertebral  formula:  cer- 
vicals  7,  dorsals  15  (-16),  lumbars  14  (-16),  caudals  26 
(-28).  Total,  63-65.  Habitat:  cosmopolitan. 

FINBACK,  RAZORBACK 
Balccnoptcra  physalus  (Linn.) 

Large  size  and  very  slender  form.  Average  total  length, 
62  feet;  the  maximum,  81  feet.  The  pectoral  fins  are  about 
12  per  cent,  of  the  total  length,  lanceolate  and  pointed.  The 

309 


APPENDIX 

dorsal  fin  is  moderate  in  height  and  falcate;  it  is  situated 
just  behind  the  line  of  the  anus.  Many  ventral  folds. 

The  color  of  the  body  is  dark  gray  above  and  white 
below,  the  two  colors  merging  imperceptibly  into  each  other 
on  the  flanks.  The  coloration  of  the  head  is  not  bilaterally 
symmetrical,  there  being  more  white  on  the  right  side  than 
on  the  left.  The  right  side  of  the  lower  jaw  is  white  and 
also  the  anterior  third  of  the  whalebone;  the  left  side  of 
the  lower  jaw  and  left  baleen  are  dark  gray.  The  gray  of 
the  flanks  extends  obliquely  down  and  back  from  the  pec- 
toral fins  toward  the  flanks,  but  does  not  reach  the  inferior 
edge  of  the  peduncle,  which  is  white. 

The  pectoral  fins  are  gray  above  and  white  below.  The 
flukes  are  dark  gray  above  and  white  below,  with  a  gray 
posterior  margin  The  whalebone  is  gray,  striped  longi- 
tudinally with  yellowish  white  in  varying  proportions;  the 
anterior  baleen  on  the  right  side  is  all  yellowish  white. 

The  rostrum  of  the  skull  is  narrow  and  pointed  with  the 
free  margins  of  the  maxillae  nearly  straight.  The  nasal 
bones  are  narrow  and  pointed  on  the  median  line  anteriorly. 
Vertebral  formula:  cervicals  7,  dorsals  15  (-16),  lumbars 
14  (-15),  caudals  25  (-26).  Total,  61-63.  Habitat:  cosmo- 
politan. 

SEI  WHALE,  RUDOLPHFS  RORQUAL 
Balcenoptera  borealis   (Lesson) 

Moderate  size.  Average  total  length,  42  to  43  feet;  maxi- 
mum length,  53  feet.  The  dorsal  fin  is  large,  and  falcate; 
it  is  situated  just  anterior  to  the  line  of  the  anus.  Many 
ventral  folds. 

The  color  of  the  head  and  back  is  dark  gray ;  on  the  sides 
and  flanks  the  gray  of  the  back  becomes  lighter  and  the 
flanks  are  beautifully  marked  with  wavy  gray  lines.  The 
throat  and  breast  are  white,  but  a  wide  dark  gray  band  runs 
across  the  belly.  The  ventral  line  from  the  anus  to  the 
flukes  is  gray.  The  pectoral  fins  above  and  below  are  dark 

310 


APPENDIX 

gray,  but  somewhat  lighter  on  the  anterior  half  of  the  under 
side.  The  flukes  above  are  dark  gray  like  the  back,  and 
below  are  light  gray  in  the  ventral  portion,  becoming  darker 
on  the  edges.  The  whalebone  is  bluish-black  with  white 
bristles. 

The  rostrum  of  the  skull  is  narrow  and  triangular  with 
straight  sides  as  in  the  Finback.  The  nasal  bones  are 
oblong  and  truncated  anteriorly.  The  first  rib  is  usually 
bifurcated.  Vertebral  formula:  cervicals  7,  dorsals  14  (-13), 
lumbars  13  (-14),  caudals  22  (-23).  Total,  56-57.  Habitat: 
cosmopolitan. 

HUMPBACK 
Megaptera  nodosa   (Bonn.) 

Form  massive  and  ungraceful.  Head  flat  and  blunt  with 
dermal  tubercles*  along  the  sides  and  middle.  Ventral  folds 
few  and  broad.  Average  total  length,  45  feet;  maximum 
length,  55  feet.  The  pectoral  fins  are  more  than  one-fourth 
the  entire  length  with  several  prominent  bunches  along  the 
anterior  edge.  The  dorsal  fin  is  low,  thick  and  somewhat 
falcate,  and  the  flukes  are  broad  with  crenate  posterior 
edges. 

The  color  is  black  with  white  markings.  The  head,  back 
and  sides  are  black  and  the  throat  and  breast  to  about  oppo- 
site the  pectoral  fins  are  splashed  and  streaked  with  white 
in  varying  degrees.  On  the  lower  lips,  sides  of  the  jaw  and 
about  the  chin,  throat  and  breast  are  spots,  circles  and 
crescents  of  white;  these  are  probably  the  scars  left  by 
barnacles  and  other  parasites.  Between  the  flippers  in  the 
middle  of  the  breast  there  is  usually  an  irregular  transverse 
patch  of  white,  10  or  12  inches  in  diameter. 

The  flippers  are  black  above  with  many  white  spots  and 
circles,  and  white  below  except  for  a  broad  patch  of  black 
at  the  base.  The  flukes  are  normally  black  above  with  white 
spots  along  the  edges;  below  they  are  white,  spotted  and 
circled  with  black,  except  in  the  basal  third,  where  there 


APPENDIX 

is  a  large  black  area.     The  whalebone  is  dull  black,  with 
brownish  black  bristles. 

Skull  very  broad  with  an  obtuse  rostrum.  The  nasal 
bones  are  rather  narrow  and  pointed  anteriorly.  Vertebral 
formula:  cervicals  7,  dorsals  14,  lumbars  n  (-10),  caudals 
21.  Total,  53  (-52).  Habitat:  cosmopolitan. 

NORTH  ATLANTIC  RIGHT  WHALE,  BLACK  WHALE 
Enbalcena  glacialis  (Bonn.) 

Form  massive.  Head  about  one-fourth  the  total  length 
and  rostrum  much  arched,  with  a  protuberance  near  the 
anterior  end,  called  the  "bonnet."  Lower  lip  very  large, 
and  the  free  margin  is  more  or  less  sinuous.  Pectoral  fins 
very  broad  and  short.  No  ventral  furrows  and  no  dorsal 
fin.  The  color  is  black  throughout,  with  more  or  less  white 
on  the  throat  and  breast  in  some  individuals.  Greatest 
length,  54  feet. 

Rostrum  of  skull  very  long,  narrow  and  curved.  Nasal 
bones  large,  broad  and  oblong.  Sternum  broad  and  irregu- 
larly triangular.  Scapula  broader  than  high.  Vertebral 
formula:  cervicals  7,  dorsals  14,  lumbars  n  (10-12), 
caudals  23  (-26).  Total,  55  (-57).  Habitat:  in  temperate 
waters  in  both  hemispheres. 

BOWHEAD,  GREENLAND  RIGHT  WHALE 
Balccna  -mystic  etus  (Linn.) 

Form  massive.  Head  enormous,  exceeding  one-third  the 
total  length  of  the  whale.  Upper  jaw  greatly  arched  to  ac- 
commodate the  long  whalebone.  No  ''bonnet."  Blowholes 
elevated  and  followed  by  a  deep  concavity  over  the  "neck." 
No  ventral  furrows  and  no  dorsal  fin.  The  color  is  black, 
with  some  white  about  the  throat  and  lower  lips.  The  whale- 
bone is  black,  long  and  very  elastic;  in  some  individuals  it 
reaches  a  length  of  14  feet.  Greatest  length,  65  feet. 

312 


APPENDIX 

Rostrum  of  skull  long,  narrow  and  remarkably  arched. 
Vertebral  formula:  cervicals  7,  dorsals  12,  lumbars  14, 
caudals  22.  Total,  55.  Habitat:  Arctic  waters  only;  not 
found  in  Antarctic. 


CALIFORNIA  GRAY  WHALE,  DEVILFISH 
Rhachianectes  glaucus  (Cope) 

Form  robust.  Upper  jaw  moderately  arched.  Two  to 
four  furrows  on  throat.  No  dorsal  fin.  The  color  is  black, 
or  very  dark  slate,  thickly  marked  about  the  snout,  lips, 
chin  and  jaws  with  white  flecks  and  small  spots.  On  the 
sides,  breast  and  belly  are  many  roughly  elliptical,  irregular 
grayish  markings  and  white  circular  spots  which  are  ap- 
parently the  scars  left  by  barnacles.  The  amount  of  white 
varies  greatly  with  individuals,  but  is  seldom  entirely  absent. 
The  pectoral  fins  and  flukes  are  black  on  both  surfaces, 
with  scattered  white  spots  and  circles.  Average  size,  40 
feet;  maximum  size,  49  feet. 

Skull  with  a  broad  strip  of  frontal  exposed  upon  the  ver- 
tex. Nasals  very  long  and  broad.  Cervical  vertebrae  all  free. 
Anterior  ribs  with  tubercles,  necks  and  heads.  Vertebral 
formula:  cervicals  7,  dorsals  14,  lumbars  12,  caudals  23. 
Total,  56.  Habitat:  North  Pacific  Ocean  only. 

SPERM  WHALE,  CACHALOT 
Physeter  macrocephalus  ( Linn. ) 

Size  large  and  form  massive.  Head  blunt.  A  single 
S-shaped  blowhole  at  the  end  of  the  snout.  Forty  to  50  teeth 
in  lower  jaw.  No  functional  teeth  in  upper  jaw.  A  promi- 
nent "hump"  on  the  back. 

The  color  is  slate  gray,  with  some  white  about  the  lower 
jaw  and  snout,  which  is  crossed  in  every  direction  by  long 
white  lines  (scars).  White  or  gray  patches  are  usually 
found  about  the  umbilicus.  Greatest  length,  70  feet. 

313 


APPENDIX 

The  bones  of  the  skull  are  elevated  to  form  a  high  crest 
above  and  behind  the  nares.  The  rostrum  is  very  massive 
and  wide,  but  gradually  tapers  to  the  apex,  and  is  concave. 
Lower  jaw  very  long  and  narrow.  Atlas  free,  but  all  the 
other  cervical  vertebrae  united  into  a  solid  mass.  Vertebral 
formula:  cervicals  7,  dorsals  n,  lumbars  8,  caudals  24. 
Total,  50.  Habitat :  cosmopolitan,  in  warm  currents. 

KILLER  WHALE,  ORCA,  GRAMPUS,  THRESHER 
Orca  orca  (Linn.) 

Form  robust.  Head  pointed.  Heavy  pointed  conical  teeth 
in  both  jaws.  An  extremely  high  dorsal  fin.  The  color  is 
black,  with  an  elliptical  white  spot  on  each  side  of  head. 
The  throat  and  breast  are  white  and  there  is  a  trident-shaped 
area  of  white  on  the  belly  and  flanks.  A  white  or  grayish 
patch  is  usually  present  just  behind  the  dorsal  fin.  The 
flukes  above  are  black,  and  below  white  except  for  a  black 
band  on  the  posterior  margins  and  tips.  Greatest  length, 
30  feet. 

Rostrum  about  equal  in  length  to  the  cranial  part  of  the 
skull,  broad  and  flattened  above,  rounded  in  front.  Teeth 
usually  twelve  in  each  jaw.  Vertebral  formula:  cervicals  7, 
dorsals  11-12,  lumbars  10,  caudals  53.  Total,  51-52.  Habi- 
tat: cosmopolitan. 

WHITE  WHALE,  BELUGA,  MARSOUIN  BLANC 
Delphinapterus  leucas  (Pallas) 

Form  robust.  Head  very  small  and  marked  off  from  body 
by  an  ill-defined  neck.  No  dorsal  fin.  Pectoral  fins  very 
broad  and  upturned.  The  color  is  pure  white  in  the  adult, 
except  for  a  very  narrow  band  of  brownish  on  the  edges  of 
the  flukes  and  flippers.  The  young  are  entirely  brownish. 

Skull  rather  narrow  and  elongated.  Eight  to  ten  teeth  in 
both  jaws — cervical  vertebrae  all  free.  Vertebral  formula: 


APPENDIX 

cervicals  7,  dorsals  n,  lumbars  9,  caudals  23.     Total,  50. 
Habitat:  North  Atlantic  and  North  Pacific. 


BLACKFISH,  PILOT  WHALE,  CA'ING  OR  GRINDHVAL 
Globicephalus  melas  (Traill) 

Form  robust.  Head  large  and  very  round.  Dorsal  fin 
thick  and  triangular.  Pectoral  fins  very  long  and  narrow. 

The  color  is  black  throughout,  except  for  a  narrow  foun- 
tain-shaped area  of  white  on  the  throat,  breast  and  belly. 
Greatest  length,  30  feet. 

Skull  broad  and  depressed.  Premaxillae  strongly  concave 
in  front  of  nares.  Vertebral  formula:  cervicals  7,  dorsals 
n,  lumbars  12-14,  caudals  28-29.  Total,  58  or  59.  Habitat: 
North  Atlantic  Ocean. 


BOTTLENOSE  PORPOISE 
Tursiops  tnincatiis  (Mont.) 

Head  produced  in  the  form  of  a  beak.  Strong  teeth  in 
both  jaws.  A  well-developed  dorsal  fin. 

The  color  is  dark  gray  on  the  head,  back  and  sides,  and  the 
throat,  breast  and  belly  are  white.  Average  length,  8  feet; 
greatest  length,  12  feet. 

Rostrum  tapering.  Palate  not  grooved.  Symphysis  of 
mandible  short.  Forty  to  50  teeth.  Vertebral  formula:  cer- 
vicals 7,  dorsals  13,  lumbars  17,  caudals  27.  Total,  64.  Habi- 
tat: North  Atlantic  Ocean. 


III.  THE  SKELETON  OF  THE  CETACEA 

The  skeletons  of  whales  and  porpoises  are  so  frequently 
preserved  in  museums  that,  for  the  benefit  of  those  who 
wish  to  understand  more  fully  the  Cetacea.  a  brief  general 
description  of  the  osteology  is  given  below.  Unfortunately, 

315 


APPENDIX 

however,  it  is  impossible  to  present  the  subject  except  in 
semi-technical  language. 

The  bones  of  the  Cetacea  are  comparatively  light  and 
fragile,  the  hard,  shell-like  exterior  being  thin  and  the  in- 
terior filled  with  spongy  "cancellous  tissue"  which  is  con- 
siderably impregnated  with  oil.  In  structure  they  are  exactly 
opposite  to  those  of  the  Sirenia  (the  aquatic  mammalian 
order  including  the  sea  cows,  or  manatees,  and  the  dugongs), 
which  have  very  heavy  solid  bones  of  almost  flinty  hard- 
ness. Cetacean  bones  are  easily  affected  by  weather,  and  if 
exposed  to  the  sun,  rain  and  wind  for  a  comparatively  short 
time  the  hard  exterior  becomes  white  and  chalk-like. 

The  whale's  skeleton  is  highly  modified  in  adaptation  to 
an  aquatic  existence  and  is  very  distinctive  of  the  cetacean 
order.  In  a  general  view  it  is  seen  to  be  greatly  elongated, 
the  skull  is  pointed,  the  fore-limbs  are  short  and  flat  and  the 
hind-limbs  are  represented  by  nodules  of  bone;  all  these  ac- 
company a  fish-like  body  which  offers  little  resistance  to  its 
passage  through  the  water. 

The  skull  is  perhaps  more  greatly  modified  than  any 
other  portion  of  the  skeleton,  and  if  a  trained  anatomist  who 
had  not  studied  the  Cetacea  were  to  examine  a  whale's  skull, 
he  would  probably  be  at  a  loss  to  identify  correctly  its  parts. 
The  brain  case  is  small  and  rounded,  the  eyes  are  situated 
far  back  and  the  facial  portion  greatly  elongated.  The  back 
of  the  brain  case  is  formed  by  an  extraordinarily  developed 
supra-occipital  bone  which  extends  forward  and  upward  to 
meet  the  frontal,  entirely  excluding  the  parietals  from  the 
summit  of  the  skull.  The  nostrals  have  rotated  backward 
and  upward  and  are  almost  vertical  instead  of  horizontal  as 
in  other  mammals ;  thus  the  nasal  bones  are  greatly  reduced 
in  size. 

The  skull  of  a  toothed  whale  in  general  appearance  is 
quite  unlike  that  of  a  whalebone  whale;  the  nasals  are  very 
small,  and  the  maxillae,  premaxillae"  and  f  rentals  meet  above 
the  nostrils  to  form  a  bony  ridge  which  is  sometimes  de- 
veloped into  an  extraordinary  crest.  In  some  cases  the  crest 

316 


APPENDIX 

overhangs  the  blowholes  and  is  asymmetrical,  the  right  side 
being  much  more  strongly  developed  than  the  left. 

The  facial  portion,  or  rostrum,  of  the  right  whales  is 
narrow  and  greatly  arched,  but  in  the  Balaenopteras  it  is 
wide  and  flat;  in  the  toothed  whales  it  may  be  either  wide 
and  concave,  as  in  the  Physeteridae,  or  narrow  and  beak-like 
as  in  the  Ziphiidae  and  Delphinidae. 

The  neck,  or  cervical,  vertebrae  of  all  the  Cetacea  are  ex- 
ceedingly thin  and  plate-like  and  usually  either  two  or  three 
of  the  entire  series  are  fused.  In  large-headed  species,  such 
as  the  right  whales,  the  neck  is  reduced  to  a  minimum  and 
the  cervical  vertebrae  are  all  joined  in  a  solid  mass  to  bear 
the  weight  of  the  enormous  skull. 

The  remainder  of  the  spinal  column,  as  in  all  mammals,  is 
divided  into  dorsal,  lumbar  and  caudal  vertebrae.  The  first 
series  bear  ribs  and  the  last,  which  are  those  of  the  "tail 
region,"  may  be  distinguished  by  the  V-shaped  "chevron 
bones"  attached  to  the  lower  side  of  each  vertebral  body; 
because  of  the  absence  of  functional  hind  limbs  no  sacrum 
is  present. 

The  ribs  of  the  whalebone  whales  differ  from  those  of 
other  mammals  because  all  but  the  first  two  or  three  have 
lost  the  capitulum,  or  head,  and  articulate  by  only  the  tuber- 
culum  to  the  transverse  processes  of  the  vertebrae. 

In  the  baleen  whales  the  sternum,  or  breast  bone,  is  so 
reduced  that  it  only  articulates  with  the  first  pair  of  ribs, 
the  lower  ends  of  those  remaining  being  free.  Thus  with 
the  weak  attachment  of  the  ribs  to  the  vertebrae  and  no 
fastening  to  the  sternum,  a  loose  "thoracic  box"  is  formed, 
which  is  capable  of  great  lateral  movement  as  the  enormous 
lungs  expand  and  contract. 

In  the  toothed  whales  conditions  are  somewhat  different. 
Many  of  the  ribs  have  the  normal  attachment  by  head  and 
tubercle  to  the  vertebrae  and  are  joined  by  their  lower  ends 
to  the  sternum,  which  consists  of  several  pieces;  thus  the 
thoracic  box  is  much  more  rigid  than  in  the  baleen  whales. 

The  bones  of  the  fore-limbs  of  ordinary  mammals  are 

317 


APPENDIX 

present  in  the  cetacean  flipper,  but  they  become  greatly 
flattened  and  overlaid  with  adipose  tissue  to  form  a  paddle. 
In  the  right  whales  the  five  fingers  of  the  mammalian  hand 
are  present,  but  in  others  one  finger  has  been  lost,  and  the 
digits  are  greatly  elongated.  The  scapula,  or  shoulder  blade, 
is  a  wide,  flat,  fan-shaped  bone,  and  the  clavicles,  or  collar- 
bones, have  entirely  disappeared.  The  hind-limbs  are  rudi- 
mentary, when  present  at  all,  only  being  represented  by 
bony  nodules,  and  the  pelvis  is  reduced  to  two  spindle-shaped 
bones  quite  unlike  that  of  land  mammals. 

The  skeleton  of  each  group  of  the  Cetacea,  although 
similar  in  general  characters,  varies  enormously  in  the  de- 
tails of  construction,  and  to  anyone  interested  in  osteology 
will  prove  a  fascinating  subject  for  investigation. 


IV.    ADAPTATION  AS  SHOWN  BY  THE  CETACEA 

There  are  many  indisputable  evidences  that  whales  once 
lived  upon  the  land  and  walked  upon  four  legs  like  ordinary 
quadrupeds,  yet  how  remarkably  different  from  any  land 
mammal  is  their  present  form ! 

We  see  that  almost  all  aquatic  creatures  have  torpedo- 
shaped  bodies,  which  offer  the  minimum  of  resistance  to 
their  passage  through  the  water.  Thus  as  the  whales  gradu- 
ally changed  from  a  terrestrial  to  an  aquatic  life  their  bodies 
assumed  the  elongated  form  essential  for  successful  exist> 
ence  in  a  liquid  medium. 

Accompanying  this  change  of  bodily  shape  was  the  elimi- 
nation of  all  unnecessary  structures  which  offered  resistance, 
and  the  whale's  smooth,  soft,  hairless  skin  was  one  of  the 
results.  But  the  hair  of  a  land  mammal  acts  as  a  non-con- 
ductor, preventing  the  heat  of  the  blood  from  being  absorbed 
by  the  air,  and  as  the  whale's  body  became  naked  it  was 
necessary  to  blanket  it  with  some  other  protective  covering; 
thus  the  layer  of  fat  or  blubber  developed  between  the  skin 
and  the  flesh.  Fish  and  amphibians  do  not  need  a  warm 

318 


APPENDIX 

covering  because  their  blood  is  cold  and  changes  with  the 
temperature  of  the  medium  in  which  they  live. 

Besides  giving  warmth  to  a  land  mammal,  hair  acts  as  a 
protection  for  its  tender  skin;  but  since  a  whale  lives  in  the 
water,  where  bruises  or  abrasions  are  unlikely,  such  pro- 
tection is  unnecessary.  With  the  loss  of  hair  the  sweat  and 
oil  glands  which  are  present  in  the  skins  of  land  mammals 
finally  disappeared. 

When  any  creature  becomes  aquatic  it  must  necessarily 
develop  means  for  progression  through  the  water,  and  thus 
the  caudal  portion  of  the  whale's  body  by  degrees  expanded 
into  the  wide,  flat,  boneless  tail,  or  flukes.  But  instead  of 
being  vertical  to  the  axis  of  the  body  like  the  tail  of  a  fish, 
the  whale's  flukes  are  horizontal,  obviously  to  give  the  animal 
greater  facility  in  rising  to  the  surface  to  breathe. 

With  the  development  of  the  flukes  there  came  a  change 
in  the  whale's  fore-limbs,  which  were  flattened  and  covered 
with  connective  tissue  and  blubber.  The  excellent  paddles 
thus  formed,  while  probably  of  little  use  in  forward  motion, 
assist  in  rapid  turning  and  act  as  balancing  organs  to  keep 
the  animal  upright  in  the  water.  In  some  species  an  adipose 
dorsal  fin  has  also  developed  as  a  further  balancing  aid. 

During  the  development  of  the  flippers  and  flukes  the 
hind-limbs,  which  were  no  longer  of  use  to  the  whale,  be- 
came small  and  weak,  sunk  into  the  blubber  and  finally  dis- 
appeared altogether,  the  greatly  modified  pelvic  elements  and 
nodules  of  bone  or  cartilage  representing  the  femur  alone 
remaining. 

The  heads  of  most  cetaceans  are  long  and  pointed,  acting 
as  a  "cut-water,"  but  one  of  the  most  remarkable  aquatic 
adaptations  is  the  position  of  the  nostrils,  or  blow-holes, 
which  open  upon  the  very  summit  of  the  head,  in  either  a 
single  or  double  aperture,  instead  of  at  the  end  of  the  snout. 
The  cause  of  this  migration  of  the  nostrils  is  obvious,  for  in 
this  position  the  blowholes  first  appear  at  the  surface  and 
the  whale  can  begin  to  breathe  while  the  rest  of  its  body 
is  yet  under  water. 

319 


APPENDIX 

In  all  cetaceans  the  facial  portion  of  the  skull  is  greatly 
elongated,  and  especially  in  the  Mystacoceti  the  mouth  is 
exceedingly  large  to  accommodate  the  baleen,  which  hangs 
in  two  parallel  rows  from  the  upper  jaw.  Probably  no 
mammalian  adaptation  for  the  securing  of  food  is  more  re- 
markable than  the  whale's  baleen.  It  is  almost  unbelievable 
that  an  animal  which  once  had  teeth  could,  as  its  food 
changed,  replace  them  by  a  complicated  straining  apparatus 
such  as  the  whalebone.  The  baleen  is  an  epidermal  growth 
and  is  in  reality  merely  an  exaggeration  of  the  transverse 
ridges  present  in  the  mouths  of  land  mammals. 

We  know  that  the  Mystacoceti  at  one  time  had  teeth,  for 
in  foetal  whales  two  sets  of  minute  teeth  are  present  under 
the  skin,  corresponding  to  the  "milk"  and  "permanent"  den- 
tition of  ordinary  mammals,  but  these  disappear  before  the 
baleen  begins  to  develop. 

Another  interesting  feeding  adaptation  is  present  in  the 
throat  of  the  whale.  The  nostrils,  instead  of  opening  into  the 
back  of  the  mouth,  as  in  land  mammals,  are  directly  con- 
nected with  the  lungs  by  a  prolongation  of  the  "wind-pipe" 
called  the  epiglottis,  which  entirely  shuts  off  the  whale's 
breathing  passage  from  the  mouth.  Thus  the  animal  can 
swallow  its  food  beneath  the  surface  without  danger  of 
strangulation  through  getting  water  into  its  lungs. 

When  whales  lived  upon  the  land  external  ears  were  neces- 
sary, but  as  they  became  completely  aquatic  such  "sound  col- 
lectors" were  not  only  of  no  more  use  but  highly  undesir- 
able, because,  like  the  useless  hind-limbs,  they  offered  addi- 
tional resistance  to  the  water;  therefore  the  external  ears 
were  lost,  but  their  muscles  still  remain  about  the  minute 
ear-orifices  of  the  present-day  Cetacea. 

The  internal  modifications  which  the  whales  underwent 
as  they  assumed  an  aquatic  existence  are  fully  as  remark- 
able as  the  external  changes.  In  the  section  on  osteology 
it  has  been  explained  how,  in  living  cetaceans,  the  entire 
skeleton  is  loosely  articulated  so  that  great  flexibility  and 
freedom  of  movement  is  given  to  the  body,  how  the  neck 

320 


APPENDIX 

is  shortened  and  the  vertebrae  have  become  thin  and  closely 
packed  together  to  support  the  large  head,  and  how  the 
breast-bone  is  reduced  and  the  ribs  so  loosely  articulated  to 
the  vertebral  column  that  the  huge  lungs  have  full  power 
of  expansion.  All  these  are  necessary  modifications  of  the 
mammalian  skeleton  which  have  been  caused  by  the  change 
from  a  terrestrial  to  an  aquatic  existence. 

The  lungs  of  the  Cetacea  are  unlobulated  and  of  extraor- 
dinary size;  the  diaphragm,  the  muscular  partition  which 
separates  the  thoracic  from  the  abdominal  cavity,  is  oblique, 
and  the  brain  greatly  convoluted  and  of  a  high  type;  the 
brain  is  especially  notable  for  the  loss  of  the  olfactory,  or 
smelling  portions,  which  are  of  no  use  to  an  aquatic  mammal. 

Thus  it  is  apparent  in  a  review  of  only  the  most  obvious 
changes  what  a  wonderful  example  of  adaptation  to  environ- 
ment is  furnished  by  the  Cetacea. 


INDEX 


Aate     (Calanus    finmarchius) , 

126 

Acinomyx  jubatus.  Sec  Chee- 
tah 

Admiralty  Island,   Alaska,  4 
Tyee   Company   erected   sta- 
tion on,    185 
Aikawa,  91,  130,   143,  152,  235, 

263 

Airondo  Marti,  105,   130 
Akebono,  105 

Alaska,  v,  4,  5,  46,  59,  63,  64, 
143,  148,  158,  175,  1 80, 
230,  252 

Alaska  Whaling  Company,  5 
Albatross,  U.  S.  S.,  77,  78 
Aleutian   Islands,  5,  230 
Allen,  Doctor  Glover  M.,  45 
Allen,  Doctor  J.  A.,  vii 
Amagansett,  253,  255 
Ambergris,  225,  226,  227 
America,  Pacific  Coast  of,  185, 

186 

American  Museum  Journal,  vi 
American  Museum  of  Natural 

History,  v 

skeletons    of    all    the    large 

Japanese  cetaceans  in,  vi 

trustees  of,  vi,  230,  235,  255, 

266 

American  West  Coast  whaling 
industry,  vii 


American  whaling  ships,  189 

Americans,  23 

Andersen,  Captain  Y.  E.,  vii, 
61,  92,  95,  loo,  101,  102, 
104,  105,  107,  108,  no, 
in,  113,  114,  115,  117, 

120,     121 

Andrews,  Yvette  Borup,  vii 
Antarctic  circle,  304 
Antarctic  Ocean,  124,  184 
Antwerp,  265 
Aosaki    (red   blubber    whale), 

214 

Apple  Island,  269 
Arctic  Ocean,  186,  249,  263 
Arctic  Region,   184 
Argentina,  9,  304 
Arytenoid  cartilages,  43 
Atlantic  finwhalers,  176 
Atlantic  Ocean,  183,  184,  304 
Australia,  6,  169,  248,  265 

Baffin  Bay,  296 

Balanopterince,  183 

Balcom,  Captain,  24,  25,  30 

Baleen,  37,  69 
objects  made  of,  90,  158 
value  of,  247,  248,  253 

Baleen  whales,  food  of,  67 

Banks  Land,  249 

Barclay  Sound,  4,  22,  24 

Barnacles,  65,  66,  211,  248 


323 


INDEX 


Barneson,  Captain  John,  vi,  4 

Barrel  view  from  the  crow's 
nest,  26 

Basques,  245 

Bay    City,    Washington,   5 

Bay  of  Biscay,  245,  296 

Bay  of  Islands,  6 

Beluga  or  white  whale,  54 

Berardius  bairdi,  266 

Bering  Sea,  204,  220,  249,  301 

Bering   Strait,  249 

Bernheimer,    Mr.    and   Mrs. 
Charles  L.,  vii 

Birds,  107,   109,   no 

Black  codfish  (Polachius  vir- 
ens},  123 

Blackfish,  sometimes  called  pi- 
lot whale,  291 

Blahval,  Norwegian  name  for 
blue  whale,  178 

Blanket   piece,    82 

Blow,  47 

Blowholes,  43 
adaptation  to  aquatic  life,  44, 

153 

elevation  of,  45 

position  of,  44,  153 
Blowing,  43 

Blubber,  35,  74,  149,  151,  152, 
153,  208,  213,  214,  240, 
261,  277,  302 

Blue  whale,  14,  19,  24,  39,  41, 
57,  70,  150,  155,  178,  179, 
180,  183,  185,  302,  305 

capture  and  delivery  to  sta- 
tion, 139,  140,  142,  143 

Millais'    interesting    account 
of  hunt  of,  144-147 

photographing  of  and  shoot- 
ing at,  132 


Blue  whale,  skeleton  of,  75,  80, 

91,  122,  127,  130 
vigorous  attempt  to  capture, 

133 

Boiling-vats,  n 
Bomb,  12 
Bomb-harpoon,  3 
Bonnaterre,  Abbe,  245 
Borneo,  v 
Bottlenose    (Hyperoodon   ros- 

tratum),  57,  72,  154 
habits  and  characteristics  of, 

262 

method  of  hunting,  258-261 
origin  of  name,  258 
where  found,  263,  264 
Bottlenose  porpoise   (Tursiops 

truncatus),  278,  282 
Bowdoin,  George  S.,  vii 
Bowhead,  2,  221,  245,  247,  251, 

296 

food  of,  248 
grounds  of,  249 
Brazil,  9 
Breach,  63 
Breaching,  64 
Breathing,  42 

Breeding  grounds,  202,  203 
Breeding    habits    of    all    large 

whales,  72 
Brett,  Captain,  6 
Bryde,  John,  5 
Bull,  Captain,  300 
Bumpus,    Doctor    Herman    C, 

vii 
Bunk-houses,  ii 

Cabot,  146 

Calanus  finmarchius,  Aate,  126 

Calf,  69 


324 


INDEX 


Calf,   enormous    size   at  birth, 

143 
California,  202,  203 

coast  of,  204 

California  gray  whale,  72,  125, 
178,    189,    190,    192,    195, 
196,  197,  200,  201 
length  when  born,  73 
California  lagoons,  186,  189 
Camera,  v,  27,  30,  96,  97,  104, 

113,  130 
important  part  of,  in  natural 

history,  55 

Canadian   North   Pacific  Fish- 
eries, Ltd.,  5 
Canting   winch,  35 
Cape  Beale,  25 
Cape  Good  Hope,  183 
Cape   Hatteras,   239,   278,   280, 

282,  290 
Cape  Horn,  183 
Cape  Ommaney,   5 
Cape  St.  Mary,  146 
Carcass  platforms,  n,  36 
Castberg,  Captain,  176 
Cetacea,  124 
Cetaceans,  127,  149,  267 
color  changes  when  dead,  17 
hair  on,  212,  213,  214 
individual    variation    of,    17, 

20 

physiology  of,  59 
Cheetah    (Acinomyx  jubatus), 

127 

Chili,  9 
Chinese,  23 
Christiania  Bay,  I 
Cinematograph,   100 
Clark,  James  L.,  255 
Communicate,  how  whales,  60 


Cook  Brothers,  6,  89 
Cope,  Professor,  189 
Copepod  (Penella  antarctica), 

124 

Coronula,  248 
Cororiula  diadema,  212 
Coryphagha,  267 
Crew,  14 
Crow's    nest,    whales    sighted 

from,   14 
Cryptolepas        rhachianectei 

(shell-like    barnacles), 

212 

Cutters,  82 
Cutting  in,  20,  33,  34 

Japanese  method  of,  79 
Cutting  operations,  37 
Cuttlefish,  226,  230 
Cyamus,  248 
Cyamus      scammoni       (whale 

lice),    212 

Daito  No.  2,  whaleship,  130 
Davis  Strait,  245,  263,  296 
Delphinida,  267 
Delphinapterus      leucas.       See 

White  porpoise 
Devilfish,  178,  189,  195,  204 

affection  of,  208 
Dinosaurs,  140 
Dolphin,  151,  219,  223,  267 
Dorsal  fin,  153 
Double-finned  whale,  61,  62 
Dryer,  n 
Durban,  5 
Dutch  East  Indies,  v,  77 

East  Indies,  Dutch,  v 
Eclipse,  Captain  David  Gray's 

schooner,  258 
Edwards,  Captain  Josh,  255 


INDEX 


Engine  house,   u 
England,  9,  265 
Epiglottis,  44 
Eskimos,  251,  252,  253 
Eubalcuna  glacialis.    See  Right 

whale 
Euphausia  inermis,  67,  126,  301 

Pagan,  D.  W.  O.,  quoted,  8 

Falkland   Islands,   9,    123,   230, 
304 

Fanshaw,  Cape,  47 

Faroe   Islands,  9,  263,  291 

Feed,  47 

Feeding,  50 

Feeding  operations,  68 

Fertilizer,  36,  37,  88 

Finback,  19,  24,  39,  46,  55,  56, 
57,  59,  61,  62,  70,  91  122, 
127,  129,  143,  158,  160, 
164,  1 66,  169,  172,  173, 
175,  176,  178,  179,  180, 
183,  185,  223,  305,  306 
Millais'  description  of  kill- 
ing, 181,  182 

Finland,  296 

Finmark,  3,   122,   263 
accident  off  coast  of,  72 

Finners,   2 

Fins,  148,  149 

Fin  whale,  2,  3,   143,  153,  223, 

297,  304 

mating  and  pairing  of,  73 
small  fish  eaten  by,  69 
value  of  baleen  of,  37 

Flensing  knives,  81 

Flensing  slip,  n,  36 

Flippers,  35,  149 

Floating   factories,  9 
development  of,  301,  302 


Flukes,  148 

Food,  ii 

Formosa,  77 

Foyn,  Svend,  inventor  of  har- 
poon-gun, i,  2,  16 
best  years  of   (1871-1880),  3 

Frederick  Sound,  4,  46,  59 

French    Antarctic    Expedition, 
124 

Fukushima,   105 

Fur  seal,  204,  208 

Fusan,  191 

Galapagos  Islands,  9 
Globicephalus        brachypterus, 

295 

Globicephalus  melas,  291 
Globicephalus  scammoni,  295 
Glue,  37 
Gracia,  whaling  ship  sunk  by  a 

finner,  176 
Grahame,  Captain  Charles,  46, 

58,  59,   158,  168,  169,  173 
Grampus,  220 
Grampus  griseus,  221 
Gray,  Captain  David,  258,  259, 

262 

Gray  whale,  198,  199 
diseases  of,  210,  212,  214,  305 
food  of,  207 
migration  of,  202 
period  of  gestation  of,  204 
Great  Britain,  304 
Great    Dismal    Swamp    Canal, 

283 

Greenland,  9,  240,  263,  296 
Greenland     right    whale,    245, 

247 

Grind,  291,  292,  294 
Guana,  37 •'•• 

326 


INDEX 


Guldberg,  Dr.  G.  A.,  262 
Gunner,  14,  16 

Hakata,  190 
Hansen,  Captain,  109 
Harpoon,  12,  14 
Harpoon-gun,  2,   n,   16,  26 
charge  of,  12 
weight  of,   12 
Hebrides,  9 

Hermitage     Bay,     Newfound- 
land, 69,   146 
Herschel  Island,  253 
Hibberd,  Captain  I.   N.,  iv,  4 
Hogei  Maru  No.   5,  92 
Hudson  Bay,  249 
Humpback,    19,   24,  27,   33,   38, 
39,  44,  46,  48,  50,  52,  54, 
55,  56,  57,  60,  63 
amorous     antics     in     mating 

season,   66 
baby,   73 

caught  in  wire  nets,  6 
danger  from  lancing,  70 
dive  of,  29 

great  affection  of,  69,  71,  72 
habits  of,  59 

period   of   gestation,   73,  87, 
130,    148,    149,    152,    158, 
167,  168,   185,  232,  305 
photograph  of,  breaching,  64 
playful  disposition  of,  66 
Hurum,  Captain,  60,  197,  199 
Huxley,  Leonard,  218 
Hyperoodon    rostratum.      See 
Bottlenose 

Iceland,  3,  263,  296 
Ikeda,  Mr.,  79 
Indians,  23 


Indians,  Siwash,  186 

Individual  variation,  17,  20 

Inland  Sea,  79 

Isafjord,  72 

Island  Empire,  cutting  opera- 
tions at,  37 

Italian  hemp,  tested  for  a 
breaking  point  of  eigh- 
teen tons,  14 

Iwashi  kujira.  See  Sardine 
whale 

Jacobsen,  Captain  Reidar,  130 
Japan,  5,  14,  37,  57,  61,  64,  79, 
123,    152,    189,   220,   230, 
235,    249,    253,    263,    266, 
302 
use  of  whales    for  food  in, 

304,  305 

whaling  banks  of,  77 
Japan  Sea,   190 
Japanese    Empire,    5,    35,    178, 

214 

coast  of,  5,  57,  58 
stations  in,  79 
Jarfjord,  3,  176 
Johanessen,  Hans,  mate  of  the 

Puma,  144 
Johnson,  Captain,  197,  200 

Kamaishi,   130 
Kay  Verde  Islands,  239 
Kerguelen  Islands,  9,   142,  304 
Killer  whale,  197,  218,  220,  221, 

222,    223,    261,    263,    267, 

289,  295 
food  of,  219 
strength  and  ferocity  of, 

witnessed      by      Captain 

Scott,  215 


327 


INDEX 


Kinka-San,  104,  121 

Kirkeo,  site  of  first  factory  for 

converting    whale     flesh 

into  guano,  3 
Kirkwood,  ship,  156 
Kishimoto,  79 
Koku  knjira  or  devilfish,   108, 

189,  190,   196 
Korea,  57,    178,   189,    190,    191, 

202,    206,   208,    210,    220, 

221 

coast  of,  204 
Koreans,   193,   194,   195 

dress  of,  192 
Kronprinz  Wilhelm,  39 
Kyuquot,  4,  24,  153 

Labrador,  144,  263,  301 

coast  of,  143 
Lagenorhynchus       obliquidens. 

See  Porpoise 
Larsen,  Captain,  19,  130 
Leopard,  African  hunting,  127 
Line,  harpoon,  14 
Liouville,  Doctor,   124 
Lobtail,  38 
Lobtailing,  65 
Lucas,  Doctor  Frederic  A.,  vii, 

75,  142 
extract   from   "The   Passing 

of  the   Whale"  by,  298- 

300 
weighing  and   measuring  of 

blue  whale  by,  140 
Layard's    whale     (Mesoplodon 

layardi),  264 

Machine  for  drying  the  flesh, 


ii 


Magdalena  Bay,  209 


Main,   Captain  Melsom's   ship, 

195,  201 
"Mammals    of    Great    Britain 

and  Ireland,  The,"  by  J. 

G.  Millais,  extracts  from, 

70,  146,  176,  182 
Manager's  house,  n 
Manatee.    See  Sea  cow 
"Marine   Mammalia,   The,"  by 

Scammon,  196 
Marsouin  blanc,  269 
Mast,  14 

Matsumoto,  Mr.,  195 
Maury,  Lieut.,  184,  256 
McGrath,  R.  T.,  298 
McMurdo   Strait,  220 
Megapteras,  66 
Melsom,  Captain  H.  G.,  vii,  60, 

70,  146,    195,    199,    201, 
208,  263 

blue  whale  killed  by,  at  Ul- 
san,  Korea,  57 

Mesoplodon  densirostris,  speci- 
men of,  found  on  New 
Jersey  coast,  265 

Mesoplodon  grayi,  264 

Mesoplodon  layardi  (Layard's 
whale),  264 

Metropolitan,  vi 

Mexico,  Norwegian  firm  built 
station  on  Pacific  coast 
of,  5,  301 

Milk,  taste  and  appearance  of, 

73,  74,  75 
Milk  glands,  74 
Millais,  J.  G.,  quoted,  69,  70, 

71,  72,  144,  145,  146,  176, 
180,  181,  182 

Minerva,  whaling  steamer,  72 
Montana,   140 


328 


INDEX 


Motion-picture  film,  100,  101 
Miiller,  Mr.,  264 
Murderer's    Cove,   4,  46 
Mystacoceti.      See    Whalebone 
whales 

Nagasaki,  77 

Nannaimo,   Vancouver   Island, 

Pacific     Whaling     Com- 
pany erected  a  station  at, 

185 

Narwhal,  269,  276 
National  Geographic  Magazine, 

vi 

Naturalist,  16,  19,  20,  54 
Ne  Taihei,  104 
Nets,  for  catching  whales,  6 
New  Bedford,  Mass.,  i,  2,  16, 

239,   278 

New  Bedford  whalers,  238 
New  England  states,  i 
Newfoundland,  4,  5,  23,  24,  45, 

75,    140,    144,    146,    178, 

296,  297,  301 

Newfoundland  fishery,  298 
New  York,  91,  295 
New  York  Aquarium,  218,  278 
New  York  Zoological  Society, 

278,  280 

New  Zealand,  6,  89,  140,  265 
Nilsen,  Captain,  69,  146 
North  Atlantic  Ocean,  123,  124, 

263,  291,  295 
North     Atlantic    right    whale, 

245,  296 

North  Cape,  3,   176 
Norway,  i,  3,  5,  9,  24,  126,  147, 

258,  304 
Norwegian   captains,   authentic 

instances   related   by,  72 


Norwegian  fishermen,  relation 
to  whaling,  3 

Norwegian  gunner,    14 

Norwegian  whalers,  4 

Norwegians,  5,  16,  23,  24,  75, 
122,  143,  181,  210,  258 

Nostrils,  44,  55 

Nova  Zembla,  263 

Nursing  of  whales,  74 

Nye,  Joseph  K.,  owner  of  por- 
poise fishery  at  New 
Bedford,  Mass.,  278 

Odontoceti,  67 

Offices,  ii 

Ogiwara,  D.,  vi 

Ohlin,  Axel,  259 

Okhotsk   Sea,  203,  249 

Olsen,   Captain   Fred,   vii,   105, 

129,    130,    132,    133,    135, 

136,    137,    138,    230,    238, 

263 

Orca  gladiator,  289 
Orca  or  killer  whale,  enemy  of 

other    whales,    197,    199, 

2OO,     201,     219,     220,     221, 

223,  261 
Oriental     Whaling     Company, 

Ltd.,  78 

Orion,  24,  25,  30,  33,  38 
Osaka,  vi,  5,  121 
Osborn,  Henry  Fairfield,  vi 
Oshima,  80,  91,  152 
Outing,  vi 

Pacific  coast  of  America,  4,  64 

of  Mexico,  5 
Pacific    Ocean,    124,    142,    183, 

184,    202,   263,   264,   295, 

301,  304 


329 


INDEX 


Pacific  Steam  Whaling  Com- 
pany, 252 

Pacific  Whaling  Company,  Vic- 
toria, B.  C,  vii,  4,  5,  22, 

185 

Pamlico  Sound,  283,  290 

Pan,  14,  27 

Parasite,  66 

discovery   of,    124 

"Passing  of  the  Whale,"  ex- 
tract from  Zoological 
Society  Bulletin,  298-300 

Penclla  antarctica,  parasite,  de- 
scription of  scar  made 
by,  124 

Petersen,  Captain  John,  72 

Photographic  negatives,  devel- 
oping of,  54 

Placentia,  145 

Plymouth,  ship,   155 

Pod,  17 

Point  Barrow,  Alaska,  249, 
252,  253 

Polachius  virens.  See  Black 
codfish 

Porpoise  fishery,  278 

"Porpoise  in  Captivity,  The," 
by  Charles  H.  Town- 
send,  280 

Porpoise  oil,  269 

Porpoise,  white,  56,  77 

Porpoises,  151,  267 
hide  of,   154 
school  of,  58,   137 

Pram,  69,  71,  72 

Pregnant  whales,  74 

Pribilof   Islands,  208 

Puma,  whale  steamer,  144,  145 


Quinton,  J.  H.,  vii,  23 


Red  shrimp,  67,  126 
Rekkusu  Maru,  105,  129,  130 
Revenue  from  shore  whaling, 

2 

Rex  Maru,  200 
Right   whale,  2,    143,    145,   184, 

253 

food  of,  248 
origin  of  name,  245 
skeleton    and    baleen    of,    in 

American    Museum,    255 
Rocovitza,  59 
Rolls,  Mr.,  23 
Rope,  five-inch,  12,  14,  27 
Rope-pan,  26 
Ruck,  Sidney  C.,  vii 
Russian  industry,  5 
Russian-Japanese  War,  5 

St.    Lawrence    River,    56,    77, 

269 
St.   Lawrence,  whaler,    19,  69, 

130 

Saldanha  Bay,  6 
San  Francisco,  249 
San  Hogei,  105,  109 
Sandefjord,  5 
Sardine  whale  (Iwashi  kujira}, 

9i,  94,   123 
Sardines,   no 
Scammon,  Charles  M.,  quoted, 

66,    154,    196,    203,    204- 

2O6,    208,    209,    212,    221 

Scandinavians,  16 
School,  17 
Scientist,   18 
Scotland,  9 

Scott,  Captain  Robert  F.,  quot- 
ed, 215,  217,  218 
Sea  cow  or  manatee,  213 


330 


INDEX 


Sea  leopard,  220 

Seals,  213 

Seattle,  249 

Sechart,  4,  22,  24,  33,  73,  74 

cutting  operations  at,  37 
Sei   whale,   91,    104,    105,    120, 
125,  127,  185,  305 

food  of,  126 

habits  of,  123 

migrations  of,  124 

origin  of  name,  122 

parasite  on  body  of,  124 

speed  of,  97 
Seje,  122 

Sharps,  117,  118,  119,  121 
Shetlands,  9,  146 
Sherwood,  George  H.,  vii 
Shimonoseki,  vi,  78,  91 
Shiro-nagasu,  130,  178 
Shiro-nagasu  kujira,  80 
Shirosaki      (white      blubber 

whale),  214 
Shore  stations,  9,  20 
Shore  whaling,  19 

development  of,  I 

operations   of   Japanese   and 
Russians  in,  5 

plea    for    proper    legislation 
of,   305,   306 

revenue  from,  2 
Shrimps,  68,  69,  301 
Siberia,  coast  of,  5,  146 
Siwash  Indians,  186 
Sleep,  where  whales,  60 
Slicing  machine,  35 
Slip,  20 
Slocum,    Victor,    quoted,    240- 

244 

Smithsonian  Institution,  219 
Soft  palate,  44 


Sorenson,  the  gunner,  50,  52, 

53,  63,  161,  164,  168,  171, 

172 
Sorenson,  wooden  whale  ship, 

sunk  by  a  finback,  175 
Sound  produced  by  blowing,  55 
Sounded,  63 
Sounding,  39 
South  Africa,  5,  123 
South  America,  9,  249 
South  Atlantic  grounds,  9 
South  Atlantic  Ocean,  n,  124, 

142,  302,  304 
South  Georgia  Islands,  9,  142 

as  whaling  center,  302,  304 
South   Orkneys,  9,  304 
South   Sea  Islands,   90 
South    Shetland    Islands,    123, 

304 

Spain,  296 

Spes  et  Fides,  ship,  3 

Sperm  whale,  2,  67,  77,  91,  94, 
95,  M3,  177,  184,  223,  224, 
225,  227,  228,  229,  230, 
232,  238,  239,  261,  263, 
265 

killed  in  Japan  for  the  Amer- 
ican Museum,  235 

Spermaceti,  225,  261 

Spitzbergen,  9,  263,  296 

Spout,  45,  55,  56 
height  and  density  of  the,  44 

Spouting,  43,  50,  55 
number     of     times     of,     by 
humpback,  56 

Squid,  226,  230 

Steam  whalers,  effect  of  devel- 
opment of,  in  capture  of 
finners,  2 

Steller's  sea  lions,  219 


331 


INDEX 


Stillman,  Doctor  J.  D.  B.,  quot- 
ed, 155,  156,  157 

Stokken,  Captain,  181 

Storm  Island,  48 

Storthing,  prohibited  shore 
whaling  in  1903,  4 

Straits  of  Juan  de  Fuca,  25 

Street,  V.  H.,  vii 

Sub-Antarctic  Islands,  9 

Sulphur-bottom  or  blue  whale, 

155,  157,  178 
Swedish  iron,   12 
Swordfish,  222,  223 

Tadoussac,  269,  277 
Takamatsu,  Japanese  name  for 

killer,  220 
Tasmania,  6 
Teats,  73,  74 
Tees,  22 

Thresher,  220,  222 
Tokyo,  91 
Tokyo  Bay,  266 
Tongue,  68 
Tonsberg,  i,  2,  16 
Toothed  whales   (Odontoceti), 

67 

Towing  line,  27 
Townsend,    Charles     H.,     218, 

279 
experience    of,    on    Pribilof 

Islands,  218,  219 
quoted,  280-290 
Toyo  Hogei  Kabushiki  Kaisha, 

president    and    directors 

of,  vi,  5,  78,  90,  190 
Trachea  or  windpipe,  44 
Trying  out  vats,  35 
Tursiops  truncatus.     See  Bot- 

tlenose  porpoise 


Twins,  74 

Tyee,  Alaska,  46 

Tyec,    Captain    Charles    Gra- 

hame's    ship,    46,    158 
Tyee    Company   of   Alaska,  4, 

5,   175,    i8S 

Ulsan,  Korea,  57,  60,  190,  192, 
195,  197,  200,  202,  207, 
208,  210 

Unimak  Pass,  5 

United  States  National  Mu- 
seum, 75 

United  States  Whaling  Com- 
pany, 5 

Vadso,   176 

Vancouver,  factories  of  Cana- 
dian North  Pacific  Fish- 
eries, Ltd.,  at,  5 

Vancouver  Island,  4,  19,  22, 
46,  130,  185,  220 

Varangerfjord,  3,  176 

Vardo,  3 

Victoria,  B.  C,  4 

Vocal  organs,  55 

Voice,   55 

Wads,  12 

Wainscott,  L.  I.,  256 

Walrus,  213,  221 

Wangamumu,  6 

Weddell  seal,  220 

Whale  lice,  211,  212,  248 

Whale  oil,  151 

Whalebone,  2,  37 
growth,    composition,    shape, 
bristles,     use,     devel- 
opment     of,     67,      143, 
248 


332 


INDEX 


Whalebone  plates,   bristles   on 

inner  side  of,  69 
Whalebone   whales    (Mystaco- 

ceti),  67 
\Vhales,    breeding    habits     of, 

72 

carcass  used  for  human  con- 
sumption, 5 
depth  of  diving,  41 
description  of  cutting,  240 
double-finned,  61,  62 
early  extinction  of,  21 
food  of,  67 
inflating,  32,  33 
influence  of,  upon  fishing,  4 
investigations,       distribution, 
life  history,   relationship 
of,  20 

manner  of  swimming,  148 
meat  of,  77 
'  canning  of,  89 
chemical  analysis  of,  88 
for  eating  purposes,  86 
price  of,  87 
taste  of,  88 

methods  of  studying,  19 
milking,  75 
movements  of,  67 
nets  for  catching,  6 
number  taken  during  a  sea- 
son, 19 


Whales,  scientific  study  of,  17 
spouting  of,  43 
time  below  the  surface,  56 
with  two  dorsal  fins,  61 
young  of,  number   of,  at  a 

birth,  74 
nursing  of,  74 
Whales,  Asiatic,  vi 
Whaling,  beginning  of,  245 
great  part  persistency  plays 

in,  136 

new  era  of,  16 
Whaling  companies,  assistance 

of,  to  scientists,  20 
Whaling  grounds,  greatest  of 

modern  times,  9 
Whaling  ships,  II 
Whaling  stations,  n 
WTharf,  ii 
White  porpoise    (Delphinapte- 

rus  leucas),  56,  269 
White  whale  or  beluga,  154 
Wilson,  Doctor,  quoted,  220 
Winch,   14,  32,  34,   134 
Windpipe  or  trachea,  44 
World's  Work,  vi 
Wrangle  Island,  249 
Wyoming,   140 

Ziphiidae,  264 
Ziphioids,  258,  265 


(I) 


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